


Beauty Is Loud

by OmegaUltra



Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2019-10-08 22:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17395013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmegaUltra/pseuds/OmegaUltra
Summary: From the time they were young, Lana and Lola thought that they were inseparable, but when an accident renders Lola comatose, Lana must learn how to live life without her twin.





	1. Princess Follies

**Author's Note:**

> A/N Man, it's been a long time since I got into the driver's seat, huh? I've had this prompt on the back of my mind for months now, and it feels so great to be finally getting around to it! I hope you guys enjoy! I thank Sesquipedalian Numeral and LoudAutomata16 for their help!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! R&R!

"Get out!" A shrill voice cut through the otherwise peaceful mid-afternoon air of the Loud House, followed by the sounds of short scuffle and a door being forced open. A moment later, a young girl dressed in a rather large pageant gown literally kicked another, dressed in a set of muddy overalls, out of their shared room. "That's what you get!"

"Ugh!" Lana groaned for a moment, before planting her hands on the floor and forcing herself upright, wasting no time to look up at her sister. "I don't get it, Lola! What's wrong?!"

Lola stared at her twin for a moment, fury filling her eyes. "I've had it with you constantly dirtying my stuff is what!" She motioned towards her dress, a majestic, pink gown with light blue highlights filled with bows, ribbons and ornaments of all kinds, not unlike what a true princess would wear on the day of her coronation.

In fact, the only blemish upon the garment was the rather large brown spot centered on its abdomen. "I don't like mud getting on my stuff and until you learn that, you're not welcome in this room!"

"But it's just a dress!" The older twin tried to argue, pulling herself back onto her feet as she did so. "It's no big deal! Just get some Tide and Clorox and it'll be as good as new!"

For a moment, Lola simply stared at her in disbelief, her eyes wide and mouth agape. Though, once it passed, a joking smile overtook her. "…Just a dress? Haha… you think, that this…" she motioned towards herself. "Magnificent work of art, is **just a dress**?!"

A harsh air enveloped the twins with that, seemingly berating Lana for her poor choice of words. "What the-"

In an instant, Lola shrieked. "Grahh!" before she bared her sharpened nails and swung.

Lana reacted quickly and pulled away from the attack… only to allow Lola's hand to swipe across her cheek, scratching and causing her to fall back.

After that, the young pageant princess simply looked down upon her twin, anger and disgust filling her gaze, before she spoke with a low voice. "If you think that this is just a dress, then…" her voice gradually grew louder, before she shouted. "…then I don't have a twin anymore!"

And with that, she slammed the door shut, causing a loud *bang* to resonate through the home.

For a moment, Lana simply lied there, her mind racing in confusion. "But… that's just a dress, right? I give her muddy hugs all the time and she's never kicked me out before!" Only for a voice to snap her back to reality.

"Uhh… what was that about?" Lincoln stuck his head through his room's door, before stepping out and offering a hand to his little sister, which she happily grabbed. With that, he pulled her back onto her feet.

"I don't know…" concern filled the younger girl's voice. "I was just… having fun and Lola freaked out!" She crossed her arms and turned to face the door. "I give her gooey hugs all the time!"

For a moment, Lincoln remained silent, trying to understand what had occurred. "Ok… so you gave Lola a muddy hug and then what happened?"

"Usually, Lola laughs it off and changes out of the dirty dress…" the young girl's voice trailed off, before picking back up. "But this time… she just went crazy and kicked me out of our room!"

Lincoln hesitated for a moment, and sighed. "Lana… you know how much Lola hates it when you dirty her clothes, don't you?"

The young girl looked away in thought. "She's never really said much about it though…" before she looked up at her brother. "And why would now be any different?! It doesn't make sense!" Following it up by flaring her arms.

"Lana, sometimes people just put up with something they don't like because they love the person who's doing it, but after a while… it gets to ya, ya know?" He rubbed the back of his head and looked to the side. "And well… people break."

"But… but she…" the young girl tried to argue, only to find herself stammering as the realization dawned on her. "I… broke Lola…"

The boy nodded. "From the sound of it, yes," he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Lana, Lola may not say how much she dislikes you dirtying her stuff, but she doesn't like it, ok?"

"Ok…" Lana replied in a low tone.

"Good. Now promise me you're gonna give her some space, ok? I know it's hard to have to share everything, but you two are sisters and you just gotta get along," he stood up straight and rubbed her head. "Now, how about you go downstairs and get a bandage for that cut of yours? I'll go talk to Lola."

With that, Lana gave a small nod, before awkwardly rubbing her arm. "Thanks Lincoln…" and turning to head down the stairs. "I really messed up, huh? But… it just doesn't make sense!" the young girl found herself slowly stepping down the stairs, her gaze fixated on the serene living room, save for Lily, who sat in front of the TV watching Blarney the Dinosaur.

At the moment, most of the family was out doing whatever they could to enjoy the springtime whether before they would return for the night and share the events of the day, leaving nothing but simple silence in their home. "Maybe… maybe it has something to do with that dress…"

Suddenly, she found herself turning on the stairway and carefully making her way back up, doing her best not to make a sound. She peered into the upstairs hallway and watched as Lincoln knocked on their shared room door.

"Lola, it's me, Lincoln, can I come in?" the boy spoke with a soft, fatherly tone.

"Go away," Lola responded in a whiny tone. "If this is about Lana, I don't wanna hear it!"

He hesitated his next words, before continuing. "Lola, I just wanna make you feel better."

"Nothing can make me feel better…" her voice trailed off.

"Not even head scratches from your big brother?" Lincoln smiled at the door.

A moment of silence passed after that, before a few soft steps resonated through the hall, followed by the room's lock going *click* and the door opening, revealing Lola, now having changed out of the elegant dress and back into her typical attire, one pink pageant gown.

Lincoln wordlessly entered the room with that. "All right… let's talk Lola," he motioned towards her bed, and she complied. After that, Lincoln looked out the door once more and glanced from side to side, careful to make sure that none of the other present sisters were watching, before closing the door and walking over to Lola's side.

"Now's my chance," carefully, Lana made her way to the room door and opened it ever so slightly, allowing her to take in the sight of her sister and brother sitting on the princess bed and thankfully, the home's unusual silence made it quite easy to hear what they were saying as well.

"So… what's wrong Lola?" Lincoln placed his hand on the pageant queen's back.

"Don't you know?" Lola looked away. "Lana probably told you everything already."

"I still wanna hear it from the horse's mouth," he continued to rub, doing his best to put his little sister at ease.

The young girl hesitated for a moment, before taking a breath. "Lana ruined my dress!" suddenly, anger began to fill her voice. "Every time it rains she goes to swim in mud and then hugs me! Do you know how many dresses I've had to triple wash because of her?!"

"I'm sure she doesn't mean to," Lincoln tried to cut in, but Lola refused to let him.

"I always try to hint that I don't like it, but she never gets the message!" her voice continued to fill with frustration. "Heck, she knows I don't like mud! She knows how disgusting it feels to me!"

"There, there," Lincoln whispered. "Just stay calm," he placed a hand on her chin and turned her face to his. "Everything's gonna be all right… so what happened today?"

Lola took another breath, before grabbing a small box out of her pile of dirty clothes. "She dirtied this dress…" she pulled it out, allowing the boy to get a better look at the offending stain.

And Lincoln responded by taking it in his hand. "This doesn't look too bad. I'm sure if-"

"But there just isn't enough time!" Lola cut him off, soft tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I wouldn't be so angry with her if the pageant that this is supposed to be for wasn't tomorrow!" she sat back and placed the dress on her lap.

"What pageant's tomorrow?" Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "I thought the season ended this week?"

Lola nodded. "Yeah, this week. Tomorrow's the last and biggest competition! The Nation Ms. Prim and Perfect Pageant! Everyone has a special dress to wear to it so I begged Leni to make one for me! It took her a whole month, but it looked amazing!" her tears begin to fall, causing more stains to fall upon the already damaged garment. "And now… I'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"I guess wearing a different gown is out of the question then…" Lincoln thought for a moment, before continuing. "Lola, I know it's hard, but don't worry. There'll be other pageants!"

She didn't respond, an expression of disappointment already having taken her over.

He turned her to face him. "But, right now you've gotta remember, "Lana's your sister, and nothing's more important than that."

Lola simply pulled away. Choosing not to reply.

"I… I messed up… I know she doesn't like getting dirty, but I forced her to anyway… what kind of sister am I?" Lana mentally kicked herself for a moment, before turning away and sliding her back against the nearby wall. "I have to make this right! I… I'd never forgive myself if I let Lola go out like that!" she took a breath, before hopping to her feet and rushing down that stairs. "I have to make it up to her. Luckily, I know how to get mud stains out of clothes!"

_ **The Next Morning…** _

"Ugh…" Lola blinked awake slowly, taking a moment to stretch and yawn, before looking out her nearby window. "Today's the day huh?" a sense of dread overtook her for a moment. "I sure hope that the others don't overdo their dresses too much, I'd hate to be out staged…" with that thought, she carefully swung her legs over the bed and hopped to her feet. "Lana?"

No response.

Lola's gaze softened into one of disappointment. "I guess she decided to sleep with Lori last night… I don't blame her." a painful pang filled her chest, prompting her to clutch it for a moment. "No… no…" she shook her head, purging the thought from her mind, before taking a deep breath and approaching her door.

*Knock* *Knock*

"What the?" Lola carefully opened up, allowing a small box to come into view. She grabbed the note and read aloud. "Lola… I'm sorry for being a horrible sister and dirtying your dress. I spent all night cleaning it though, and I hope that you can forgive me," she looked down at the box. "-Lana…"

Slowly, she closed the piece of paper and shoved it in her nightgown pocket. "What could this be?" before carefully opening the box, allowing a piece of light-pink fabric to come into view. Lola's heart began to race in excitement as she placed the box on the ground and pulled the contents out, revealing the once-ruined dress restored to its former glory, ironed and cleaned better than when Leni had first given it to her.

Her heart sank. "I was too hard on her…" she took a soft breath and smiled ever so slightly, before grabbing a hanger and carefully sliding the dress into its assigned garment bag. "Can't have you getting wrinkled, can we?"

After that, she found herself stepping out of her own room taking a look in each of her siblings'. Her gaze focused on finding a certain young girl amongst the chaos of their morning. "Where could she be?" She carefully made her way down the stairs, half-expecting her twin to be watching a certain Irish dinosaur, though she only found Lily and Lisa sleeping together on the couch. "Mom and dad must've turned on the news before leaving… I doubt Lisa and Lily would watch this…"

"In other news, be careful if you're going outside today! Early morning showers have left quite a mess in Royal Woods today!" Patchy declared, before flaring his arms, trying to emphasize his point.

"Of course," Lola couldn't help, but chuckle at the thought, before she made her way passed the kitchen and dining table and over to the backyard door. She pulled up one of the nearby stools and hopped on, allowing her to peer through the window and her gaze to fall upon a young girl, simply lying in the grass seemingly taking in the world around her.

For a moment after that, Lola hesitated. "Maybe Lana just needs some time to think…" but shook her head and purged the thought from her mind. After that, she steeled her gaze and pushed the stool away, following that up by opening the door.

Instantly, her nostrils were attacked by the soft scents of spring. She could feel the pollen in the air with the soft smells of blooming golden flowers following close by. As she stepped onto the backyard porch and into the back yard, she could feel the moist blades of grass and the wet dirt beneath her slippers. And as she lied down next to her twin, she could almost taste the sweet honey that would soon be made by the bees buzzing around.

With that, the duo simply sat by in silence, both unsure of just what to say. They could both hear the sounds of birds singing in the trees and their neighbor's children playing their springtime follies.

Though of course, someone has to grab the initiative eventually. And so, Lana broke the silence with a soft. "Lola… I'm sorry…"

To say that Lola wasn't expecting those words would be a lie. And yet, despite having read those words on paper, the pageant queen still found herself asking. "What?"

"I'm sorry for always messing up your stuff!" the young plumber looked away in shame. "I know how much you don't like it when I dirty your stuff… and I know I accidentally do it too much and-"

"Lana… I'm sorry too," Lola cut her twin off.

Lana turned to her twin with confused tears in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

And so, the diva sighed. "I know I can overreact sometimes too…" she turned and looked into her eyes, taking note of the small bandage that rested upon her cheek; the only blemish upon her otherwise identical face. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

Lana smiled, small tears filling her eyes. "Thanks Lola."

"Thanks to you too, Lana." The young pageant queen replied, before the duo turned and looked out into the soft morning. At this point, the world seemed to lie still, just waiting for their little corner of it to pass by. They could feel the soft breeze fall upon them, as if it were a soft melody lulling them to sleep.

That's when an idea popped into Lola's mind. Quickly, she rushed to her feet and rushed into the house.

"Heh, I guess she didn't like laying in the grass that much." Lana quipped, before she propped herself up and turned to face the house.

A moment passed, before Lola returned to the backyard, this time with a strange, red piece of fabric in hand. Without taking a chance to explain herself, she held up one end and wrapped her hand in it. "Lana, I want you to take one end of this and tie it around your hand."

"Uhh… ok?" Lana tilted her head in confusion for a moment, before complying.

Lola sighed as she tied the other end around her hand as well. "I know I said that I didn't have a twin anymore yesterday, but…" she looked away shamefully for a moment, before looking back, into Lana's eyes. "You're the best twin a girl could ever have and I love you no matter what."

Lana smiled at the thought and sighed. "Lola, I know that I may act out and do stuff you don't like, but… I never mean to hurt you. I love you Lola and I just love to show ya!" she looked into her eyes as well. "And I love you too."

"I promise that I'll never stop loving you," Lola declared.

And Lana replied. "And I promise to always love you too," she leaned in closer and clutched the red ribbon. "And I'll always be there for you."

"Same here, because twins never leave each other behind, lets never get old!" Lola then spread her arms out. "Awkward sibling hug?"

Lana simply smiled. "Sincere sibling hug." And with that, the two wrapped their arms around each other, before speaking in unison. "Pat, pat," and looking into each other's eyes.

"Bleh!" Lana wasted no time sticking her tongue out and making a silly face, causing Lola to cover her mouth as she laughed.

"Haha!" she went. "You're the best twin ever!"

"I do my best," the young plumber chuckled. "And you're the best twin ever…"

"I love you too…" Lana whispered. "Heh… now lets get you ready for the pageant…" she finished, before the once simple summer morning began to faded away…

* * *

 

Slowly, the harsh, factory-like fluorescents of the hospital waiting room replaced the once calm sunrise morning, forcing Lana to raise her hand to cover her eyes. Instead of the soft, moist grass she had been lying in, she now found herself hunched up against an old, plastic chair and torn cushion. "It… wasn't real?"

Suddenly, the realization dawned upon her, with the memories of the events leading up to that moment soon rushing to the forefront of her mind. "That… was… just a dream…" her face scrunched up, while tears began to fill her eyes. "L-Lola…"

She curled up into her ball once more, tighter than before. "This is all my fault…"

"It'll be all right, Lana," a soft pair of arms soon made their way around the young girl, pulling her into a warm embrace. "It'll be all right…"

Lana broke her defense for a moment to glance at the source, a young woman with soft blonde hair and wearing a light blue tank top, before retreating, choosing to lean into her hug, trying to pull as much heat as she could from her sister.

A moment of silence passed between the two siblings, both of them trying to accept the allure of slumber, though this proved fruitless.

*Sniffle* "Lori?" Lana broke the harsh silence that had overtaken the duo, doing her best to remain close to her sister.

"Yes Lana?" The young woman spoke with a motherly heat.

"Is Lola gonna be ok?" she asked.

"I don't know…" Lori took a soft breath. "Yeah, I'm sure she will be…"

"I hope so…" Lana's voice trailed off.

And all Lori could do in response was pull her in closer and rub the back of her head.

"19-16-15-11-5-14 16-18-15-13-9-19-5-19 12-1-3-5-4 9-14 18-5-4 18-9-2-2-15-14…" ~1-18-9-1 18-15-19-5 "8-15-16-5-19 1-14-4 4-18-5-1-13-19"


	2. And Then There Was One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Man, I said that I was gonna take two weeks to get this written, but instead I pulled this off in less than a single one. It really does feel strange getting back into the flow of things. But I suppose that's just part and parcel of going on long hiatuses. I thank LoudAutomata16 and JamesSunderlandsPillow for all their help!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy! R&R!

Chapter Two: And Then There Was One

" _This is all my fault,"_  those words repeated in Lana's mind as her tears stained Lori's light blue shirt.  _"If I hadn't… if I had left Lola alone... if I hadn't hugged her…"_  she pushed her head forward, desperate to hide her shame in her sister's chest.

And yet, Lori simply took a deep breath and continued rubbing her head. Lola would call what she was doing 'headscratchies' or something along those lines. "Don't worry, Lana. Lola's is going to be all right…" her voice trailed off in uncertainty.

Despite the reassurance, Lana simply leaned in closer, unwilling to acknowledge her sister.

"Lana…" Lori whispered, shaking Lana slightly. "Lana?"

* * *

"Lana?"

"Huh?" The young girl snapped back to reality as her sister shook her shoulder.

For a moment, Lori held a concerned gaze upon her younger sister, before she averted her gaze to refocus upon the road ahead once the stoplight signaled for them to continue. "You spaced out a bit there," she paused. "Are you thinking of Lola?"

Lana moved to lean against the window, using her elbow to support her head, choosing not to reply to her sister's question.

" _Of course she is,"_ the young woman sighed in defeat, before mentally kicking herself for not figuring it out. "Lana… you know what mom and dad said."

"Yeah…" she whispered. "Lola's going to come back when she's better." Her voice filled with disappointment.

Lori nodded in affirmation. "That means she's going to wake up soon, you've just gotta stay strong for her!" She did her best to feign hopefulness in her voice, though Lana could feel her doubt seeping through.

"But it's been three days since she got knocked out! People wake up sooner than that in cartoons!" The young girl immediately turned to face her sister and flared her arms in emphasis, her voice filling with despair.

All the young woman could do was sigh in response. "Lana… life isn't like those cartoons," Lori struggled to fight the desire to attempt to comfort her sister in order better."

"I know, but…" Lana looked away, taking her chance to gaze out the window once more and allowing her voice to trail off.

" _Maybe it's a good idea to change the subject,"_  the young woman put on a warm smile and placed her free hand on Lana's shoulder. "How'd you enjoy the hardware store?"

"It was all right I guess…" she sighed and looked down, upon the small bag of supplies she had bought, before turning away once more.

Leaving Lori to just shake her head in defeat.  _"I hope Lola wakes up soon. I hate seeing Lana like this. It's just… not like her."_  And with that, she pulled Vanzilla into their home's driveway.

"Come on," Lori looked to Lana with a hopeful gaze. "Lola's gonna be fine, don't you worry," she then pulled the keys from the ignition, and turned. "All you've gotta do is stay strong for her and she'll be back before you know it!" With that, she hopped out of the van and stretched her arms out, before motioning for Lana to follow. "Dad should have dinner ready, I'm sure you'll like it."

" _I hope you're right, Lori,"_  Lana gave a small nod, before stepping out as well and following Lori into their home.

* * *

"All right everyone, we're having spaghetti and meatballs tonight!" Lynn Sr. did his best to put on an excited tone as he placed the tray filled with his home-cooked food in the middle of the table, before he took his seat at the head.

" _This was Lola's favorite…"_  Lana slowly took a plateful, before passing it over to Lucy, who in turn passed it over to Lynn, just as they had done for years in order to make sure everyone got a plate before everyone started eating.

A moment of silence passed once the food was distributed evenly, with no one sure just what to do besides eat, though some were considering their appetites given the circumstances.

Suddenly, Lynn Sr. took a breath and began to look around the table, doing his best to ignore the empty seat left next to Lana. "All right everyone, I know that we've had a rough past few days, but that doesn't mean we can't try to make the most of our time together," his voice filled with a desperate hope. "So, what did you all do today?"

No reply, no doubt because no one wished to talk about the elephant in the room.

Realizing this, the man adjusted himself in his seat, before he continued. "I had an interesting day at the restaurant," he paused to collect himself. "We got overwhelmed with orders during the dinner rush and Sergey passed out from exhaustion, meaning that I had to run everything by myself," he pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. "I don't know how I pulled it off, but I did," he then turned to his side. "How about you, honey-"

Only to realize that his wife wasn't paying attention; rather, she was focused on the article she had pulled up on her phone.

"Rita… what're you reading?"

"Huh?" The woman snapped back to reality.

"What's on your phone?" Lynn Sr. tilted his head in curiosity.

The woman replied by refocusing on the device. "Nothing really. I'm just getting up-to-date with the latest neurology news.

For a moment, Lynn Sr. hesitated, considering pushing further into his wife's sudden fixation with neurology, only to take a breath and decide against it. "What about the rest of you?"

Immediately, Lori glanced around the table. Normally, it would be at this point where someone would speak up, trying to one-up the mundane days everyone else would have had. And yet, this time, no one felt like speaking up.

At least, not without some encouragement.

Lori took a breath and dropped her utensils, before speaking up with a nonchalant voice. "Well, I took Lana to the hardware store today."

Her father raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh? You didn't spend too much there, did you?"

"Nope," the young woman shook her head, before glancing at the young girl whom had accompanied her. "All we bought were a pair of scissors," she leaned in close to her father and whispered. "She said that they reminded her of Lola, or something…"

Lynn Sr. looked upon his young daughter in concern, before replying. "Watch her carefully, ok? I know she's not the type to do something like… that… but given the circumstances, I think it's better safe than sorry."

Lori nodded. "All right."

"Well, uhh…" Lincoln spoke up, rubbing the back of his head as he did so. "My class got a pet bunny today!"

"Oh?" The man feigned interest. "What'd you name it?"

Lincoln shrugged. "We haven't picked one yet, but we're coming up with ideas…"

It was at this point that Lana stopped paying attention to the conversations starting around her, the young girl deciding instead to focus on the plate of food resting in front of her.

* * *

A moment later, she found herself clutching Lori once again, wiping her tears with her favorite shirt, though she doubted Lori would mind.

"Lana…" Lori held her close and pushed her chin up, allowing her to look into the older girl's eyes. "Why don't you go get some water? You've been here for a while now and I don't want you to get sore."

Lana hesitated for a moment. Would it really be a good idea to leave the safety of Lori's arms just to go for a walk? What if something happened along the way?! Of course, the Louds were no stranger to the ER, but still, there was so much that could happen along the way, and then they would have two children in need of medical care!

And yet, when looking into her older sister's reassuring gaze, the young girl found herself taking a breath and simply nodding along in understanding. "All right Lori… I'll go get some water…" before she broke free of their embrace and turned, making her way into the hallway that led to the emergency room.

The emergency wing of Royal Woods General Hospital was a maze-like set of corridors with beds crammed in wherever there would be enough space to walk in their presence, all connected to a single waiting room. Its walls were painted a sterile white, with some colored tiling along the floor in order to guide those whom would walk through them. The old fluorescent lighting fell harshly upon those who would make the trek, with years of lack-of-maintenance leaving some broken and in need of replacement.

For the next few moments, Lana found herself wandering through the emergency wing, seemingly ignored by the chaotic world that followed life in the hospital. Doctors, nurses and aids simply rushed by looking for their next job, with some even buried in their phones, oblivious to the child in their midst.  _"I doubt any of them know about Lola…"_

Soon enough, Lana found herself standing at the end of the first corridor, with arrows and a sign directing towards either of the two branches.  _"What did I hear the doctor say? Blue is for low-priority cases, red is for medical emergencies,"_  she gulped, before turning left and making her way down the blue corridor.

For the next few minutes, Lana found herself walking through what amounted to an oversized room with several beds lining the sides, while several computer stations filled the middle of the floor.

Only for her efforts to come fruitless.

Soon enough, she found herself standing in the entrance corridor once more, only this time, slowly stepping in the direction of the red sign.  _"Medical emergency…"_  she had to fight the fear building in the pit of her stomach as she made her way down the hall. Unlike the blue section, the red corridor was a single hallway with beds on either side, leading to a round central space connecting other halls to it

" _Lola can't be here, right? I mean, she was knocked out, but it couldn't be that serious, could it? I mean, that happens to Lynn all the time and she comes out fine!"_  Lana had to fight the fear building up inside of her as she made her way down the hall, each bed showing all manners of sick and miserable patients. No doubt they would soon be moved to upstairs care units when more beds opened up.

" _I have to find-"_  Lana began to think, only for a familiar voice to stop her in her tracks.

"Hello doctor."

" _Mom?!"_  Lana stepped over to the source: a nearby bed with the curtains already having been pulled around it in order to separate it from the rest of the emergency room. Slowly, she made her way around and peaked inside from the corner, careful as to not allow the occupants to notice her. And inside, she found the doctor: an old, slightly balding man with tan skin, standing before her parents and sleeping twin.

* * *

"Lana?" Lynn Sr. called out to his daughter, prompting her to snap out of the trance she had fallen into.

"Huh?" She stammered, focusing her attention on the man as she did so. "What?"

"It's your turn to share… if you have anything to," the man continued, a soft, reassuring smile overtaking his face as he did so.

Lana shook her head in reply. "No… I just spent the day with Lori…" she looked away from her father with that, choosing instead to focus on her plate once more.  _"I'm not hungry…"_  she looked to her side. "Hey Lola, you want-" only to realize that the chair still stood empty, reminding her that what she had heard and seen wasn't just her imagination.

She paused for a moment after that.  _"It's my fault Lola's in the hospital,"_  before she found her gaze wandering while her mind began to hasten in thought.  _"When she gets back, I'll have to do everything I can to make it up to her."_

"All right then, so, there I was-" Luan spoke up with a nonchalant tone, though no one seemed to be paying attention to the prank that she had come up with.

"Mom, dad, when's Lola coming back?" Lana's voice filled with a soft, naïve heat, cutting Luan off and breaking through the tense air that had formed around the Louds.

The table fell quiet after that, with the Loud Children immediately turning towards their parents, silently begging for a hopeful response. And Lynn Sr. replied by gulping, no doubt trying to ignore the elephant in the room for as long as possible, while Rita didn't even bother to look up from the article she was reading.

"Well, uhh… you see…" the man began to stammer, carefully nudging his wife to help him as he did so, only to find that she wasn't even paying attention to the situation at hand.

"What our father is currently struggling to say is that we do not know when Lola will cease her cessation of consciousness," a young voice cut the patriarch of Louds off, causing all present at the table to turn towards the source: Lisa, pen and notebook already at her side, prepared to write down everyone's reaction to the news. "Given the extent of the trauma she had endured, it is entirely likely that may never wake up."

"Dude!" Luna shouted, flaring her arms as she did so. "Not cool! We don't know anything about-"

Yet, Lisa simply cut her off by waving her hand. "I feel that this situation can only be improved upon if we peel off the Band-Aid sooner rather than-"

"Shut up!" Lana's voice cut across the room.

"Huh?" Lisa turned to her sister in confusion. "What do you mean 'shut up'? I am merely-"

"Lola is going to be all right! I just know it!" Lana slammed her fists against the table and pointed at Lisa. "Stop lying to everyone about her!"

"Lana, calm down," Lori spoke with a soft, motherly voice as she reached for the young girl, only for her to push her away.

"No! Not until she tells us the truth!" Lana glared at Lisa, before slamming her hands once more, sending a loud *thump* through the room. "When is Lola gonna wake up?!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know and neither does Lisa," Lynn Sr. spoke up, his gaze falling softly upon his daughter. "But, she's going to wake up Lana, you just have to calm down…"

For a moment, Lana stared into his eyes, seemingly judging him for what he had done, before soft tears began to stream down her cheeks. Then, before anyone could react, she turned and hopped out of her seat, wasting no time running out of the room afterwards.

"Lana!" The Louds shouted in unison.

In the next moment, the young girl found herself turning and bursting out the front door. At this point, the once cloudy sky had fallen dark, with rain now falling down upon the quiet town, leaving a wet mess in its wake.

From the time she could first walk, Lana would go outside to play in the mud when she was upset…

And this time was no different.

It took her a short moment to search for a puddle, but when she found one, she found herself dropping into the liquid, allowing the cool earth to overtake her.  _"Just calm down. Lisa didn't know what she was talking about. Lola's gonna be all right. She's just gotta be! She's gonna be home before our birthday!"_

She rolled back in forth, covering herself in dirt, while more tears began to stream down her cheeks.  _"She's in the hospital because of me…"_  she stopped on her back and outstretched her arms, allowing her gaze to move up, passed the leaves of the oak tree she had found the puddle under and into the stormy sky above.

* * *

So what's the news, doctor?" Lynn Sr. spoke with a concerned voice as he rubbed Lola's cheek, taking only a short moment to look up at the man.

The doctor paused for a moment, checking his charts once more, before standing up straight with his hands held at rest behind his back. "The emergency surgery we performed was successful according to initial results," he collected himself. "We were able to release the intracranial pressure caused by-"

"So when will my baby wake up?!" Rita cut the man off, despair filling her voice, while she looked into the doctor's eyes, urging him to tell her the truth.

The doctor sighed and shook his head, before returning the favor and looking into Rita's eyes with a begging gaze. "I'm sorry… but the trauma your daughter received was… severe," he stood up straight and pulled his arms in front of him, attempting to seem more professional and open. "An adult would have had a better chance when taking the hit, but a child, like her…" his voice trailed off, before picking up again, this time more controlled than before. "I can't say anything for certain until her test results come back."

" _I can't say anything for certain until her test results come back,"_ those words echoed through Lana's mind, causing her to stumble back.  _"We don't know when Lola is going to wake up…"_  in that moment, Lana had no idea of what to do next. And so, all she could do was weep, before running off, back to the waiting room.  _"It's all my fault…"_

* * *

" _She's in the hospital because I just had to give her a muddy hug…"_  Lana closed her eyes and sobbed, before curling up in the puddle of liquid dirt.

"Lana!" Lori shouted into the darkness. "Come back inside before you get sick!"

She slowly opened her eyes and pulled herself up, taking a moment to look at her mud-covered body.  _"This is what caused Lola's pain…"_  she stood up straight and wiped the tears from her eyes, before she approached her waiting family.

"Lori?" She whispered.

"Yes?" The young woman squatted down to her height. "Don't worry Lana, everything's gonna-"

"I want a bath," Lana cut her off.

Lori was taken aback for a moment, seemingly unable to believe her ears. "W-what?"

The young girl looked into her eldest sister's eyes with a begging gaze. "I want a bath. Please, get this stupid mud off me…"

"Oh… ok," Lori hesitated, before stepping aside and motioning for Lana to follow.

And with that, they stepped passed their siblings and walked upstairs.

9-20-'19 20-9-13-5 6-15-18 12-1-14-1 20-15 20-1-11-5 1 2-1-20-8. 8-15-16-5-6-21-12-12-25 12-15-12-1 23-9-12-12 1-16-16-18-5-3-9-1-20-5 20-8-5 7-5-19-20-21-18-5… 9-6 19-8-5 5-22-5-18 23-1-11-5-19 21-16.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Man, writing while having this story planned out is a really strange feeling to me, given how most of my stories are free-written with just a simple goal in mind. But overall, I'm enjoying how this is turning out! How about you guys?
> 
> Anyways, classes start this week for me, so the 2-3 week update schedule will probably begin with the next chapter.
> 
> As always, feel free to R&R and PM me anything! My inbox is always open to new ideas!


	3. Everything Is Nice And Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hey guys! Man it's been a long while! Yes, I know I said I was gonna post this… like a month ago, but school decided to slap me in the face and force me to focus on it… which I'll be doing for a while. Anyways, enough on that for now. I hope you guys enjoy C3!
> 
> Also I thank LoudAutomata16 for helping me!
> 
> R&R!

Chapter Three: Everything Is Nice And Fine

"Everything is nice and fine, all the time, the softest clouds and rainbow skies ain't gonna lie…" Lori's voice filled the air with an eerie tranquility as she carefully helped Lana out of her muddy set of overalls and into the bathtub. "We always have the most spectacular time, together… everyone is sittin' pretty, on top of the weather."

The young woman paused when she began to grab for the knob, glancing at her little sister. "You sure you wanna take a bath?"

Lana didn't answer, choosing instead to turn the hot water knob herself, releasing the torrent of water that would wash away the dirt she had held so dear.

And all Lori could do was watch. She sighed and nodded, before grabbing for the soap and Lana's Loofa and placing them on the sink's countertop, readying them for their soon-to-be usage. "Oh Lasso a cloud and make the flowers grow…"

Soon enough, soft steam began to fill the Loud House Bathroom, while the usually chaotic home that stood outside had calmed down, no doubt the surprise of Lana choosing to take a bath played a part.

"All right Lana," Lori dipped her hand in the water, careful to check to make sure it wouldn't harm her little sister. "Is the water all right? I don't want you to be cold or get burned."

Instead of answering, Lana simply submerged her whole body in the liquid, leaving only her eyes and nose just above the water line.

" _I guess that answers that question_ ," Lori let out a breath in defeat, before grabbing some shampoo and beginning to run her hand through Lana's scalp. "Tie them in a bow to throw at the end of the show…"

Lana winced at her older sister's roughness, though she refused to show it. _"Everything that's happened to her… all the anger and pain and dirt that she's had to deal with… it's all my fault,"_ she winced once more, this time flinching as Lori dug her nails in trying to get stubborn pieces of dirt out.

"Sorry Lana," the young woman stopped singing for a moment. "It's just been a long time since you let me clean your hair and I wanna make the most of it," she took another deep breath, before continuing to sing with her soft, calming voice. "Our songs are filled with Love, the sweetest lie. And we can send them down to you with a little shove!"

Luckily, it only takes a few minutes after that to clean her hair thanks to just how short it is, allowing her older sister to pull back and grab for her loofa. "All right Lana, get up a bit so I can clean you up more."

" _It's all I'm good for… making Lola clean up my messes,"_ slowly, she complied, raising herself up from the warm liquid, taking note of the light brown shade it had taken. _"Every time I hugged her… I made her swim in this stuff,"_ she fought the urge to tear up over the realization. _"She probably hated me for it."_

"So hitch a ride into the sky and join our band… Bring harps and lutes, kazoos, trombones and flutes…" Lori slowly continued.

" _Or just your pots and pans…"_ Slowly, Lana found the world around her melting away, leaving her spitting image sitting in the water before her. Without a word, she took in her gorgeous features; attributes so familiar and yet so foreign to her. From her long, golden blonde hair to the cowlick that she never seemed to want to rid herself of, to her beautiful blue eyes that would fill with fire when anger rushed through her body.

She was perfect in every way and she was her twin.

"All right you two, time to get you clean!" Rita leaned over the edge of the tub sponge in hand.

And of course, Lana pulled back. "Ahh! Get it away!" Though she maintained a joking smile, no doubt this was their routine.

"Well in that case, I'll go first!" Lola leaned forward, opening herself up for her mother's soapy assault. And all her mother did in response, was smile and overtake her daughter.

A few moments after that, and Lola sat clean in the tub, with Rita turning to focus her gaze on her other twin. "All right Lana, your turn."

"No!" Lana whined. "I like my mud! Please don't take it away!" She rubbed her cheeks, not noticing how brown the water around her had become. No doubt the result of having spent the entire day wallowing in the dirt with Cliff and Charles.

"Come on Lana," Lola swam over to Lana. "Getting clean is awesome!" she then rubs her cheeks as well. "Plus, it gets rid of that itchy dirty feeling!"

"But it gets rid of my mud! And I don't care about the itchy feeling!" Lana desperately tried to swim away, splashing widely as she did so, causing her dirty water to envelope her twin, leaving her once clean skin stained with muddy water.

"Lana!" Lola jokingly countered, before pulling her arms back, causing her soapy water to queue up in front of her. What ensued was a torrent of splishing and splashing, with Lana's muddy water clashing with Lola's soapy water, allowing a mess to overtake bath time and leaving the twins sitting in a mix of dirt and soap, as well as having their mother soaked by the mixtures.

"Hahaha!" The twins laughed in unison as they finished their playful game, following it up by throwing their arms around each other.

For a moment, Rita looked upon her young twins, before she shook her head and smiled. After that, she wasted no time ringing out her shirt and leaning over the duo and grabbing the soap bottle once more. "All right you two, let's try this again."

With that, the woman cleaned off her twins just as she had done for years.

And Lana closed her eyes and smiled, allowing a familiar voice's singing to fill her ears once more.

"We can write a little jig out on the mighty blue…. We will be here just for you," Lori placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder and shook her slightly, snapping her back to reality. "Through and through and through."

"Huh?" She quickly turned to her older sister in confusion. "W-what's up?"

For a moment, Lori's gaze softened, filling with uncertainty. "I'm done… what were you thinking about? You zoned out for a bit."

Lana paused for a short moment, considering trying to explain to her what she had just seemed. That for a moment, she was back to when they were even younger and it was their mother's duty to wash them and that they had shared their baths.

" _Lori wouldn't understand…"_ she turned away and shook her head. "Nothing."

" _She's lying,"_ The young woman sighed with that, before standing up and helping her little sister out of the tub. "All right Lana, I'll see about-"

"Lori," the young girl cut her off.

Lori turned back and looked into Lana's begging gaze. "Yeah?"

"Lola's gonna be all right… right?"

For a moment, the young woman hesitated, unconsciously looking away as she searched for her answer. And yet, she seemed to come up fruitless. _"I can't lie to her, can I?"_

"Please," the young blonde leaned forward, taking Lori's hand in both of her own.

" _I can't,"_ and so, Lori sighed before taking hold of Lana's shoulder with her free arm and doing her best to maintain eye contact. "Lana, I know that things are… rough," she looked away, collecting her thoughts and turned back. "But don't you worry," she let go of the young girl's hands, and began to run her hand through Lana's short and growing hair, before moving down and pushing her chin up, making sure that she was looking into her eyes.

"Remember this though, until she wakes up, the best thing you can do for her is to live your life an remember her. That way, when she wakes up, you'll be able to help her catch up on what she's missed," And with that, she let go of her little sister and stood up straight, motioning for Lana to proceed as she did so.

And in response, Lana simply looked down in disappointment, before turning and trudging her way out the door. _"She didn't wanna tell me,"_ she grabbed her towel on the way out, haphazardly tying it around herself as she did so. "Lori…"

"Yeah?" The young woman quietly replied.

"Can you get me new bed sheets?" She turned back with a begging gaze. "Lola always told me how much trouble she had trying to sleep because I stink up the room… I wanna make sure she'll be comfortable when she gets back."

With a soft nod, Lori stepped passed the younger girl and into her room in order to retrieve the set, while Lana shuffled to her own in silence.

Once inside, she immediately threw her soiled overalls aside, leaving them in a small pile of dirty laundry that had begun to form ever since the accident. _"Lola always hated how I messed up our room and wore the same thing for days on end…"_ she sighed, before dressing herself in a clean nightshirt, while fighting the urge to put on her trusty boots. _"Those things are old and muddy. Lola hated them…"_ she sighed. _"I wish-"_

*Knock* *Knock*

Lana immediately turned towards the source: her younger sister, standing by with the same, seemingly indifferent expression that she always seemed to have. With a huff, the young blonde turned away. "What do you want?"

Lisa paused and sighed, before approaching her sister. "Older sibling, I have come to apologize for what I said during supper."

"What?" Lana replied, though not bothering to look at the young scientist. Rather, she continued to prep herself for bed, taking off her bed sheets in order to replace them with the ones Lori would soon deliver. "English, Lisa."

In response, she adjusted her glasses and shook her head. "I came to say I'm sorry."

The older girl glanced at her younger sibling, obviously unconvinced by the sudden apology.

And yet, Lisa's voice softened, followed by her beginning to draw a circle with her foot while she held her arms behind her back, seemingly trying to endear herself to her sister. "It is just… I do not wish for you to have false hope given the circumstances… I don't want you to think that a miracle will occur where there just isn't one to be had. Lola-"

Lana glared at Lisa, instantly forcing Lisa to flinch, before she chose her next words. The young scientist gulped. "Well… she is currently in what could be best described as a very deep sleep."

"And?" a hint of anger filled Lana's voice, followed by her glaring at her younger sibling. "Did you come in here to tell me she's never gonna wake up or something?!"

"Well…" the scientist took another deep breath. "From my study, I found that her regaining consciousness in the foreseeable future to be unlikely. However…" her voice trailed off.

"And?" Slowly, Lana turned to look at the younger girl. Lisa looking up to her with a begging gaze, uncharacteristic of her typically stoic mannerisms, though this didn't seem to faze Lana in the slightest.

Yet, there she stood, her voice filling with a sympathetic heat while she pulled on her sweater. "… As unlikely as it may seem, I do believe that actions you undertake while she is in her current state may contribute to her current condition."

And for once, Lana didn't need Lisa to translate for her.

A soft ray of hope filled Lana's aching chest, as she wrapped her arms around her sister. "Thanks Lisa… but I don't think that I'll need to worry about that. She's gonna wake up before our birthday, I'm sure of it! She's never missed one!"

With that, Lisa sighed, before breaking the embrace turning and making her way out of the twins' room. "Very well then. Good night, Lana. If you wish to inquire further into the status of your monozygotic twin, please feel free to ask. And once again, I apologize for what I said during dinner."

And with that, she left Lana alone in her room.

For a moment, the young girl hesitated. _"Actions you undertake while she is in her current state may contribute to her current condition…"_ She shook her head. "Nah, Lisa's crazy! Lola's fine, really," she put on a pain-filled smile, before turning towards to her roommate's side, taking in the numerous self-portraits lining the walls. _"Don't worry, Lola. When you wake up it'll be like you were never gone!"_ Slowly, her gaze fell upon a certain small table with stuffed animals gathered around, waiting for someone to take and lead them along in a small party. _"But in the meantime…"_

The young girl slowly found herself stepping over to the set, though despite the lack of training and proper interest in the subject, she still found herself sitting before the numerous stuffed animals. _"How did Lola do it?"_

For a moment, Lana looked around the table and grabbed the teapot that was sitting on the table, before pretending to pour out multiple cuts. "Don't you all worry. Lola's gonna be back before you know it. Lisa doesn't know what she's talking about. " _Given the extent of the trauma she had endured, it is entirely likely that may never wake up,"_ the thought crossed her mind. _"And even if she did, she would most likely suffer from some sort of mental deficiency."_

All Lana could do at that thought, was shed a tear, before pretending to pour tea into the cups and pass them to the waiting animals.

* * *

Slowly, Lori stepped into the room and deposited the blankets, before turning to face her sister. Thankfully not interrupting Lana, though she did take the chance to observe the scene.

At first, she couldn't help, but double take. After all, the only person she had ever seen sit at that table willingly, was the sister currently resting in the hospital! And yet, there Lana was, playing with the stuffed animals while pretending to pass tea along to each of them. _"If this were under any other circumstances…"_ she let her thought trail off, before shaking her head and making her way out of the room, careful to not alert the child to her presence

*Sigh* The young woman slowly closed the door behind her, taking care to not make a sound, before making her way to her room, where all of the Loud siblings were waiting.

"So *yawn* what's goin' on, Lori?" Lincoln tiredly greeted. "We're not supposed to have a sibling meeting for a few more days."

The young woman let out a soft breath. "Guys, I wanna talk about Lana," her voice filled with a hint of defeat.

"Really?!" Leni cheerfully cut in, lifting up a small garment with that. "So like, I was making this shirt for Lola and I was wondering if she could fit it for me!"

Lori paused for a moment, before shaking her head. "I don't think that'd be a good idea right now. Lana's not lookin' like she's holding up well right now."

"Oh?" Luna looked up from the sheet music she was working on. "What's going on with her… besides… you-know-who."

"She's all right from what I can tell, but…" her voice trailed off.

"But you don't know how long that'll last?" Lucy appeared at her side, though the young woman didn't flinch.

"Yeah…" she looked around the room for a moment, checking the presence of each of her siblings. "Uhh… where's Lynn?"

Lincoln shrugged. "Don't know, though she did mention something about blowing off steam or something," the boy turned and looked up, imagining Lynn running out in the rain at this hour, most likely practicing soccer or something while the mud would be able to soften her falls. _"Man… I don't know what's gotten into her… it's not like her to be so… uninvolved! When Lana's sad she's always by her side!"_

"I see," she nodded. _"Lynn's probably thinking in her room… she used to do that when we were younger…"_ before turning to face a certain scientist. "So, Lisa… got any updates on Lola's condition?"

Lisa shook her head in defeat. "Negative, though I must mention that from what I can tell, Lola has made some progress, albeit very slowly."

"Does that mean she's going to wake up soon?!" Leni cheerfully asked, leaning close to Lisa as she did so.

Yet, all she could do in reply is shake her head. "Negative. It is entirely likely that her progress will stall… only time will tell."

Lori paused, before asking. "How likely is it that she's going wake before their birthday party next week? Lana's already refused to visit Lola ever since we left the hospital. And I think it's starting to get to her."

"Highly unlikely…" Lisa's voice trailed off, before she sighed. "From what I was able to see of the doctors notes, she suffered a severe case of blunt-force trauma when that fixture fell on top of her."

And all Lori could do in reply, was sigh in defeat once more. _"I hope you're wrong, Lisa… for both their sakes."_

5-22-5-18-25-20-8-9-14-7 23-9-12-12 2-5 14-9-3-5 1-14-4 6-9-14-5, 21-14-20-9-12 20-8-5 15-12-4 14-15-18-20-8 23-9-14-4 19-20-1-18-20-19 20-15 8-15-23-12. 8-5-'12-12 16-21-6-6 21-16 1-14-4 6-21-18-12 8-9-19 2-18-15-23. 14-15-23, 14-15-23, 12-1-14-1 8-1-4 2-5-20-20-5-18 20-1-11-5 3-15-22-5-18, 12-15-3-11 21-16 8-5-18 4-15-15-18-19 1-14-4 3-12-15-19-5 20-8-5 19-8-21-4-4-5-18-19!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N And there we go! C3 has now joined the history books! I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> Anyways, onto more pressing matters. Due to school deciding to roadblock me, I won't be able to update as frequently as I used to. So for now, updates will take place on Sundays, though I can't give an ETA between chapters.
> 
> Good news though, I've fully planned out this story in the time I was gone, so it'll be more smooth sailing for the time being.
> 
> Until next time! See ya!
> 
> Songs used:
> 
> "Everything Is Nice And Fine" ~ The Blasting Company


	4. Party Of One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hey guys! It's been a few more weeks and the next chapter is finally done! I hope you guys enjoy! Here's a warning for you guys, this is quite the chapter if I do say so myself. Be prepared for the waterworks!
> 
> Now time for me to get back to school work, I have 2 tests this week, and on the same day too!
> 
> R&R!

Chapter Four: Party Of One

"Ahh, the wide open air! It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lola stretched her arms out at her sides, while tilting her head towns the sky and smiling. "I'm so happy to be on summer vacation!"

Lana chuckled at her twin's random performance, before she leaned back on her arms and looked up into the wild blue yonder. "I guess it's pretty cool. I miss my friends though, their families went off somewhere for the summer!"

"Hey, at least you've got your best friend here, right?" Lola turned and gave the older girl a warm smile.

And though Lana would detest the act, she gave a cute smile with a blush and closed eyes, before she nodded, and looked into Lola's eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Good," the younger twin nodded, before she turned away and sat down at her sister's side, following it up by looking out, over the horizon where the sky and sea met. There were only a few clouds at this point, allowing the twins to bask in the glow of the morning sun. Their siblings played lower on the hill, making the noise that followed their name, though it didn't seem to bother them.

"You know…" Lola continued. "One day, I'm gonna make my own castle here. That way, I can always have this view, all to myself."

Lana couldn't help, but snicker at the though. "Heh, yeah. You go do that sis," she did her best to keep a straight face. "And while you're at it, why don't you get a prince charming to live with ya?!"

"Nah," Lola playfully punched Lana's arm. "I've got you after all! Who needs a prince charming when I've got a sister like you?!"

"Well in that case, I'll come with ya," she waved her finger at her. "But only if you let me run a petting zoo out of it! Or maybe just let me store my sewer cleanup gear in it! I don't wanna be cooped up in a castle after all!"

Lola jokingly winced at the idea, pushing away her sister and closing her eyes with a smile. "Eww! Lana! That's gross!"

"What're you talkin' about?!" Lana sat up and pushed back with a smile as well, before waving her finger at Lola. "Don't knock it till you try it!"

"Fine," the younger girl rubbed her chin, before snapping her fingers and poking her older sister. "But only if you promise to keep your stuff on your side of the castle!"

Lana's eyes filled we joy, before she pumped her fist and leaned back once more, resting her head upon her folded arms.

In the next moment, a soft silence overtook the twins, with the duo simply lounging about, taking in the warm heat of the summer day. Lola gazed upon the seemingly endless and always changing waves while Lana let her imagination wander to the giant clouds of gas above, letting their shapes morph into all kinds of fantastical creatures. To them, the world seemed to stand at rest, watching over the young children, ready to listen for their deepest desires.

"Lola…" Lana broke through the calm air, turning to face her twin as she did so.

"Yeah?" Lola turned and leaned closer in curiosity.

"Do you think we'll always be together?" A wavering weakness began to fill her tone.

And yet, without hesitation, the young princess fell back in laughter, holding herself as she did so. "Haha! Of course we will! What kinda question is that?!"

Lana's once worried gaze softened up, before she looked back her twin. "Heh, it's just…" she found her voice softening once more, with her gaze averting from her sister. "I'm just… I'm worried that we're gonna leave each other one day, ya know?"

Lola stopped her laughter and leaned in close to her sister.

"One day, you're gonna be Miss Universe or something while I'm gonna go off to work with Bobby Fletcher," the older girl's voice trailed off in uncertainty. "What if… what if…"

Suddenly, Lola threw her arms around her twin and pulled her into a soft embrace. She whispered softly into the older twin's ear, doing her best to comfort her. "Lana, no matter what happens, we'll never leave each other behind," she smiled and looked into Lana's eyes. "After all, we've got the whole world at our feet."

"And as we watch the season's change, all roads will be lined with adventure…" almost unconsciously, the older sister replied, as if the memories of a promise so distant and yet so close chose to return at the moment.

"There'll be mountains in the way, but they won't keep us from the sea," the younger sister couldn't help, but chuckle and glance at the ocean behind her.

And Lana pulled her tighter in reply, taking the chance to glance at her hand, imagining the red, silk-fabric they had tight around it to seal their vows. "Because we made a promise to always be together. Our hopes and dreams were laced in red ribbon…"

"Yeah, and we're gonna stand strong, together, in the world that we'll make!" Lola's voice filled with a soft warmth, before she pulled her twin in as closely as she could, and whispered. "Because no matter where we end up, even if we're a thousand miles apart, I'll always remember you. Because I can hear your voice in the breeze, see your shadows in the trees…" she pulled back and looked into her eyes. "And because the memories we hold onto never change."

And Lana smiled, soft tears filling her eyes, before the twins held each other as tighter than they ever had before

* * *

*Beep!* *Beep!* *Beep!* *Beep!*

The alarm cut through the morning air of the young twin's room, prompting her to slam her hand on the device, silencing it for yet another day. _"Ugh… morning already?"_

She grimaced at the timepiece, before slowly turning away in her bed. _"Stupid clock, I was dreaming of… her,"_ she tiredly sat up in her bed, before taking a breath in defeat. _"Another morning, another day with Lola,"_ she took a breath, before glancing at the device that had awoken her. " _Now that I think of it… Lincoln usually wakes me up. I don't even own an alarm clock."_

Slowly, she grabbed the device. And as Lana read its glowing green text, eyes grew wide while her heart began to race. _"Eight-thirty AM… October tenth."_ Carefully, she placed the clock on her nightstand, before calmly swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She softly pushed herself to the floor and held herself standing.

Her heart continued to race faster than it ever had before, with the silence of the early morning room filling her ears, urging her to begin.

In the next moment, a whirlwind of activity overtook the young girl's room, with Lana first turning and bolting to the end of her bed, grabbing the sheets and pulling them over her pillow, before folding the top back, making her bed in one swift motion. Next, doubled back and rushed over to her closet, taking the chance to grab a set of new clothes- a teal shirt and set of small blue jeans. _"Lola always wanted me to try something other than my overalls, but I always told her how dirty plumbing could get. Today, I'll wear these just for her!"_ Before grabbing the pet food she always kept on hand and setting up the feed for the family pets.

With those tests done, she set her sights towards the table upon which a small pink box laced in red ribbon stood. Slowly, she took the object and her hands and held it close. _"This is for you, Lola. It took Leni and I a week to make this, but when I see your face again, I know it'll all be worth it."_

She fought the urge to tear up, failing for just an instant, allowing a single tear to stream down her cheek. _"I'm gonna see you soon, Lola. I know you're gonna love this!"_ before she turned and wiped the liquid from her cheek. And with that, she made her way out of the room.

* * *

"Surprise!" The Loud Family's voices filled the once quiet morning, following it up by sending streamers of all shapes and sizes soaring through the air. "Happy birthday!"

A cheerful glow filled Lana's face, with a smile appearing soon after. "Haha! Thanks guys! I'm so excited! What're we doing today!"

"Well, according to the schedule our mother and father so graciously prepared, we have a full day ahead of us," Lisa adjusted her glasses and focused upon the small notepad in her hands. "First we will indulge ourselves on our father's special birthday Lynn-breakfast, before going out for some activities."

Lana smiled at the thought, of all of the fun things her family had laid out for her.

But before they would whisk her off on whatever adventure her birthday had planned, there was one thing she had to do. She clutched the box and looked up to them with a thankful smile. "Awesome… but before we go do that stuff…" she gulped. "I wanna give Lola her present."

Suddenly, the once joy-filled air of the living room fell silent, with the residents slowly turning towards each other for the answers that they knew none of them had.

Slowly, the young girl leaded to her side, doing her best to peer behind the group of her family moments. "Where is she?"

Lori took a breath in response, before stepping forward and taking a knee in front of her. She took Lana's shoulders in her hands and forced herself to look into the younger girl's eyes. "Lana… I'm sorry, but… Lola didn't wake up."

In that moment, the once brilliant light that had filled her younger sister's eyes dimmed, while her bright smile faded into a disappointed frown. "Oh…"

"But hey," Lori did her best to put on a reassuring tone. "That's not to say Lola's not gonna wake up later, right?" she took Lana's chin in her hand and pushed it up slightly. "Why don't you enjoy your birthday and tell her about it when she comes home?

The younger girl chose not to reply, instead looking down at the box and clutching its neatly wrapped corners.

"Come on! We've got some party games?" Lincoln forced a smile as well, before pulling out a game of twister and break dancing on it.

"Or how about Secret Stalin?" Lucy held a small orange box decorated in spy equipment. "It's one of your favorites, isn't it?"

" _With Lola…"_ the thought crossed Lana's mind, prompting her to look away. "I… I'd rather not

Lucy pulled the box behind her box. "Sigh… I suppose this was a bad choice…"

"Hey, how about we go eat some of my special birthday breakfast?" Lynn Sr. spoke up, throwing his arms around his children, pulling them closer to him.

Though Lana didn't bother to look at him. "Yeah… I guess that works…" And with that, she broke her father's embrace and stepped into the kitchen.

_**A Few Minutes Later…** _

"Presenting, Lynn Cakes!" Lynn Sr. declared as he placed a plate stacked high with pancakes. He carefully glazed the top with maple and strawberry syrup, the twins' favorites, before making a single cut into it, as if it were a cake. "Eat up!"

And yet, Lana found herself simply looking upon the sight. Although it should've been a sugar-craving six-turning-on-seven-year-old's dream, she didn't seem to react to it. Rather, she turned away, deciding instead to focus on the box she now held in her lap.

"Come on, try some," Luan leaned over and rubbed Lana's back, trying to urge her to go eat. "It'll make everything all **batter.** "

Yet, rather than groan at the pun, the younger girl seemed to just sink into her seat, staring moving her gaze to stare up at the brown liquid as it made its way down the sides of the fluffy tower. _"She loved dad's pancakes… she would always beg for dad's special syrup too…"_

"Lana…" Lincoln leaned over to his little sister. "Come on, at least try some… then after we eat, we can try some games out, how does that sound?"

She glanced up, her slowly watering eyes filling his view.

"Lola would want you to enjoy your birthday," he spoke with a soft, reassuring voice. "Why don't you try to do it, for her."

Lana replied by looking down at the box and taking a breath. _"But… Lola would also want me to be there for her. That way, we would be able to enjoy it together!"_ she paused, her thoughts jumping from idea to idea, though seemingly eluding her as to the answer.

And yet, a moment later, she found herself slowly taking bites out of the pancakes meant for her and her twin.

_**A Few Minutes After That…** _

"All right! First one to the end of the line wins!" Lori declared, before blowing her whistle, sending an ear-piercing screech through the yard.

In an instant, the louds began doing their best to run towards the finish line, trampling over whatever weeds and flowers stood on their way on the finish line in their potato sack race.

A short moment later, and Lynn was hopping at the finish line, cheering for another victory well-earned. "Yeah! I'm the best! Lynner, Lynner, chicken dinner! Whoo!" Before looking back at the starting line, only to find Lana still holding the box and standing in her sack.

"I guess Lana's just… not in the mood to run and stuff…" Lynn looked down and sighed.

* * *

"Three, two, one, ready or not, here I come!" Lincoln shouted, before turning towards the seemingly empty yard. He rubbed his chin for a moment, taking a moment to glance around. "Hmm, now where could they be?" he raised his hand over his eyes, seemingly trying to block the piercing rays of the sun.

The boy's eyes fell on a mud puddle, its soft, wet dirt no doubt the perfect hiding place for a certain plumber. He snapped his fingers, before slowly making his way towards the substance, before taking a knee in front of it. "Oh Lana…" he raised his hands, before pouncing at a random shape in the mud, only to find himself wrestling with a tree branch.

"What the?!" Lincoln forced himself upright in confusion. "Lana?"

"I'm over here," the young girl replied, no doubt not even paying attention to the game that the Louds were attempting to play. Rather, she simply sat back, allowing her mind to flood with the memories of a promise and the box that she had worked so hard to prepare.

"Dangit," Lincoln sighed in defeat.

* * *

"So you're the Secret Stalin?!" Lynn Sr. slapped his hands against his head in surprise. "I couldn't believe it!"

"I'm sorry dad, but I'm not!" Lori replied by pulling out her party membership card, showing a man dressed in a trench coat with the word "communist" under it.

"That just leaves two communists left!" Lincoln declared cheerfully. "Now who…"

"I say it's Lana!" Lynn pointed at her younger sister, who still didn't seem to realize what was going on around her.

And seemingly in response, Lana just took a breath and handed over her membership card. _"Lola loved this game… she always somehow found out who Stalin was in the first few minutes."_

"Oh…" Lynn slowly opened up the envelope, only to find that that was in deed the case. "Well ok then… Stalin."

The Louds simply looked at each other once more, before giving a collective sigh.

"I guess party games weren't such a good idea after all…" Lori shook her head in disappointment. _"Then again, ever since the accident, I don't think any of us have really been doing well..."_

_ **Later…** _

After a few more attempts at party games, the Louds found themselves driving into the parking lot of the restaurant they had worked so hard to build up. From what Lana could see, Lynn Sr. had left the place closed for the day, rather than ask Mr. Grouse to run things in his absence.

"All right kids," Rita turned to look at her children, taking a moment to break from the neurology book she seemed to have married herself to. "Let's head inside for dinner!"

And with that, the Loud kids filed out of the van, for the most part, with just the whispers and stepford smiles of a birthday for one but not another.

* * *

A moment later, Lynn Sr. unlocked the door to the restaurant and turned on the lights. Now, whenever one of the Louds' birthdays came up, every single Loud would pitch in to get the birthday child or parent whatever they wanted, and this year was no different.

Instantly, the soft lights illuminated a pile of gifts stacked up like a pyramid on the central table. Some were labeled "for Lola" while the vast majority were prepared for Lana.

"Surprise!" Lynn Sr. flared out his arms, before motioning towards the table.

"Happy birthday sis! It's not my birthday, it's your birthday!" Luan came up opposite him and motioned as well.

"We weren't sure what to get you, so we just got you a lot of stuff we'd think you'd want!" Lynn immediately jumped and swam through the pile of presents, before jumping out and landing in the chair right of the center, where Lana was suppose to sit.

Lincoln then came up on her side and took a breath, before rubbing the back of his head. "Lana… I know things have been tough, but hey, how about you open your presents? Maybe you'll find something you'd like!"

Yet, despite what would seem to be a six-turning-on-seven-year-old's dream, Lana's pained expression didn't change. Rather, she clutched the present she had held onto the whole day and looked away.

Softly, Lori came to her side and took her up in her arms. Wordlessly, she carried her little sister to the table and placed her in her seat, all the while, Lana remained focused on the gift, laced in red ribbon. She then took a deep breath and grabbed the first gift. "Lana?"

No response.

Lori looked to her family for guidance, though only found the passing glances of uncertainty that had plagued their day. They had done their best trying to plan for whatever happened that day, though they had never accounted for just how badly it would turn out.

And so, the young woman took a breath, before grabbing hold of her first gift and shaking it, allowing a few rumbles to echo out. "Lana, wanna open your present?"

She didn't react.

"Come on Lana," Lori placed her hand on her shoulder once more and turned her to face her. "Lola would-"

"Lola would nothing!" Lana lashed out, raising her voice in response. "Lola would want me to wait for her! She'd want us to open our gifts together!"

"Please Lana…" Lori pulled back a bit in surprise, before leaning in once more. _"She probably would…"_

Lana looked back down at the gift. "I wanna wait for her to come. She's gonna wake up soon, I just know it!"

Silence overtook the family with that, with none sure how to respond.

Soft tears began to make their way down Lana's cheeks, while her ever-tightening grip on the box dared to rip the tenderly folded and tied wrapping paper. "I can feel her still. She's gonna wake up soon! She's asking me to wait for her! We made a promise that we'd always be together! We tied with her ribbon too!"

Lisa stepped forward, only for Lucy to raise her arm and hold her back, giving the younger girl a small headshake in reply.

Lana's soft whimpers began to fill the air after that, with her pulling the gift in closer. "She promised to be her… she promised she'd be all right…"

" _No child should have to lose their sibling…_ " Lori quietly reached for her younger sister once more. After everything that had transpired that day, she knew that there was little comfort she could give. She knew that there was little she could do to help, and yet, she still wanted to hold her sister; to comfort and to care for her, to give her hope that her reality was lying to her.

Yet, she knew that this was the truth and that no matter how much they tried to ignore it, it stood before them, gnawing away at their very beings.

And all she could do in response was listen to the soft, painful whimpers of a child.

"I wanna see her."

Lori looked to her sister. "What?"

Lana turned and gazed into Lori's eyes. "I wanna see Lola."

Slowly, the young woman turned to her father and he gave a small nod, before pulling out his car keys for her to take.

And so, she turned back and gave a nod as well. "A-all right. Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Lana immediately shouted, before retreating to the invisible box she seemed to have limited herself to. "I wanna see her again."

"O-ok," Lori took a deep breath and scooped her up in her arms once more, before stepping passed her quiet family and out into the afternoon day.

* * *

In the next moment, the duo were making their way down the old roads of Royal Woods. In the distance, they could see their destination, a wide, white building with the word "Hospital" glued to the side. They could feel the soft late-summer sun's rays fall upon them, while the soft hum of vanzilla filled their ears.

It was almost as if the world was doing its best to contrast against the solemn reason they were driving.

A few minutes later, the duo pulled up to their destination, the main public hospital of their small town, Royal Woods General Hospital.

Royal Woods General was by far, the lowest rated hospital in the entirety of the state of Michigan. And from the moment Lana walked up to the front entrance, she could tell why.

Unlike most hospitals, which have a more open environment surrounding them in order to feel more welcoming, an iron post fence covered the main perimeter of the hospital; which was open in a few spots for entrances.

Above the automated sliding doors was a large, steel scaffold used to keep the entrance dry in case of rain. From there, the hospital opened up into a long, yet wide hallway with the financial office on the right and numerous seats set up for patients and visitors to use.

"Don't let go, it's easy to get lost around here," Lori spoke softly, before she took hold of Lana's hand, though from just how tightly she was holding on, it was more likely used to stop her from running away.

At the end of the hall was a small reception desk, with a young, dark-skinned woman sitting behind the counter. "Hi, where are you going and may I see your ID?"

"We're here to visit Lola Loud," the young woman replied, using her free hand to hand over her driver's license.

The woman tapped at the screen for a moment, before nodding, taking a photo of the young woman and handing over a small visitor's pass and her ID. "All right Ms. Loud, you're gonna go up to the pediatric ward on the second floor, she's in room A113," she then pointed at the elevators. "Ask a nurse to point you in the right direction."

"Thank you," And with that, Lori and Lana made their way upstairs.

Like the rest of the hospital, RWG's pediatric ward was painted a cold, sterile white, albeit decorated with seemingly random, child-like drawings, most likely to take some stress off the unfortunate tenants of the unit.

It takes a moment, but eventually they come across room A113.

Like the others on its floor, Lola's room is small, just large enough for her bed, a small nightstand, two chairs and the equipment necessary to monitor Lola's seemingly non-improving condition. Its walls were decorated with trains and letters of the alphabet, no doubt to inspire a child-like wonder in the minds of the occupants.

"Hi Lola…" Lana slowly approached the bed containing her twin. Lola looked pale at this point, with a pained frown held on her face. At this point, the doctors had placed a tube in her abdomen to feed her, while using a set of wires leading into her nose to help her breathe, along with the wire in her arm that gave her medicine. "How are you feeling?"

The young girl paused for a moment after that, seemingly hoping to receive a response from her twin, but to no avail. And so, with a sigh, she shook her head and smiled once more, holding up the present as she did so. , "It's our birthday… do you wanna… ya know, open the present I got for you? Leni and I worked really hard to make this for ya!"

Another moment passed. "Maybe... maybe I have to bring up to ya. Since it's probably hard to move with all the stuff they've done to ya!" before carefully, Lana turned and pulled one of the chairs over to the bedside, before climbing up, displaying the box for her sister.

Nearby, Lori stood silent, unsure if she should even attempt to intervene, only to hold herself steady and stand back. _"No Lori, she needs this."_

"Come on, I worked really hard on it…" the young girl paused, before grabbing the ribbon and slowly pulling it apart. "Ya know what? Dow about I open it for ya and you can wake up and try it on?" With that, she pulled off the cord and opened the lid, revealing a small, pink dress decorated with blue highlights and frills of all sizes. Though, it looked like a mess of fabrics masquerading as a dress, to Lana it was the culmination of her hard work put together into a creation of thread that she dreamed her sister would one day wear.

"Check this out!" Lana grabbed hold of the dress' unique feature, a small zipper on the side, before pulling, allowing half the dress to open up like a jacket. "You can open this up so that you won't have to mess with… the needle to put this dress on…" she looked down upon the garment. "You know… because you love dresses… and you wouldn't be caught dead without one… right?"

Slowly, Lana pulled it in close while the hope began to dim from her eyes. "Why… why don't you grab this and try it on? I-I mean, I know how much you hated people helping you dress yourself!"

Still no answer.

She then placed the dress in her sister's motionless hand. "H-how about I help you?" Lana clutched it around her hand. _"Please wake up…"_

And yet, another moment passed with no response.

Soon enough, soft tears began to make their way down Lana's cheeks once more, while desperation filled her voice. "Come on Lola, wake up!" she leaned closer and clutched her hand tighter. "Please, I'm begging you! I can't live like this anymore, I need you! I can't keep trying to pretend everything is fine when it's not!"

" _She needs us…"_ Lori slowly stepped over and carefully wrapped her arms around the young girl, pulling her into a soft embrace.

And in response, Lana turned and buried her tear-filled face into her older sister's chest.

"*Sniffle* Lola's not gonna wake up, is she?" The younger girl could barely whisper through her tears.

And all Lori could do, was rub her head and pull her in tighter.

9 4-15-21-2-20 20-8-1-20 12-1-14-1 23-9-12-12 6-9-14-4 19-15-12-1-3-5 1-14-25-20-9-13-5 19-15-15-14… 5-19-16-5-3-9-1-12-12-25 7-9-22-5-14 20-8-5 6-1-3-20 20-8-1-20 12-15-12-1 9-19 9-14 15-14-5 15-6 20-8-5 12-15-23-5-19-20 18-1-20-5-4 8-15-19-16-9-20-1-12-19 9-14 20-8-5 19-20-1-20-5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N And here we go! The beginning's finally done, now the story can finally get a move on! See you in a few weeks! I hope you guys enjoyed! Until next time!


	5. Summer Showers In October

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hey guys, I’m back from my college classes to bring you the next chapter of Beauty is Loud! I hope you guys enjoy! I thank LoudAutomata16 for his help! He’s been great helping me get back into the writing game!
> 
> R&R!

Chapter Five: Summer Showers In October

"Hi Vasquez, I'm here for my shift."

"Ahh Maria, you're floating here today?" The clerk, a small woman with fair skin, greeted, before turning and continuing her computer work.

In response, the woman nodded. "Yeah. Surprise, surprise, but RWG still doesn't know how to manage us nurses properly," she couldn't help, but chuckle as she stepped passed the clerk and into the nursing station, before logging onto one of the portable computers that would help her do her job. "Anything change since the last time I came by?"

The clerk remained focused on her own computer, but shook her head. "Not really… it's the usual suspects and the like. Some broken bones, an anti-vaxxer kid with tetanus and a coma patient."

Maria turned back to the clerk in confusion. "A comatose child?"

"Yeah… she's been out for a whole month now," The clerk turned in her chair. "Heads up while you're doing rounds, I saw two of her sisters head inside. They might still be there in case you wanna check up on her."

" _I haven't floated to this unit in over a month, and already it seems like more serious cases are just coming in,"_ she took breath, silently jealous of those nurses who were permanently assigned to their units, before grabbing the portable computer and medicine cart, and pulling it along. "Thanks Vasquez _."_

And with that, she stepped into the hospital hallway to begin her work.

For the passed fifteen years, Maria Santiago had found herself working at Royal Woods General as a floating nurse- those unlucky few who rather than have the luxury of getting accustomed to a specific unit, would rotate to whatever unit was short-staffed for the day. Of course, the job had its perks, as a floating nurse she was always in for a surprise when she visited new units.

And today was no exception.

Now, she was no stranger to the graveyard shift. In fact, when her relationship with Dr. Santiago turned sour, she started to take them in order to afford the mortgage on her house. She was always thankful that the nighttime was usually quieter than the day, leading to her shift mostly consisting of checking on the patients, making sure none of them ran away or making sure they ate their dinner before going to sleep.

But, sometimes there would be family members staying the night. Of course, she could never blame them for doing so. If her Ronalda or Roberto ended up in one of the beds she had to inspect, she'd refuse to leave as well. But she always had to admit, it made her job ever so slightly harder, if anything, because she had to take extra precautions as to not offend or worry them.

And so, with her nerves ready, she approached the first room in the unit, room A113.

*Knock* *Knock* "Hello?" the woman softly pushed the door open, taking the chance to look inside as she did so.

Yet, rather than a concrete response, all she heard was:

*Sniffle*

" _This complicates things slightly,"_ she took a soft breath, before steeling her nerves.

Then, carefully, she pushed her way into the room, already bracing for what was to come. And when she stepped inside, she paused, her eyes widening in shock. Now of course, she had seen sights like this many times before. In fact, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't grown just a bit numb to it.

And yet, upon seeing Lori clutching her little sister, she still couldn't help, but stand surprised.

"Don't worry Lana," She heard Lori whisper, clutching Lana tightly as she did so. "Everything's gonna be all right. Lola's gonna wake up soon you know."

Though, rather than respond, Lana buried her tear-filled face into her sister's chest, using it as a tissue to wipe her tears while also trying to find some sense of comfort in her warmth.

Many would step away from this sight, to give the duo some space to grieve. And yet, Maria took a breath and sighed, knowing she had a job to do. "Hello Lori."

A short moment of shock filled the room, before slowly, the young woman let go of her sister, and turned to face the nurse, taking a second to wipe a tear that had filled her eye as she did so. "Hi Ms. Santiago."

"…How is your sister doing?" Maria continued, softly stepping passed Lori and beginning to perform her usual routine, slowly examining the pediatric patient, though taking some extra care upon finding out just who it was.

"The same as when she came in…" Lori replied, glancing at Lana as she did so. "Has anything happened while we were gone? We really wanna know when she'll… wake up, ya know?"

Maria nodded in understanding, before turning to her portable computer and beginning to look up Lola's file. I took a few seconds to load, but when it did, she calmly read through it, only to shake her head in defeat. "I'm sorry Lori… but no. Her condition just hasn't changed at all since she arrived."

"Oh…" the young woman's voice trailed off.

Maria turned to face her. "But don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine." She then squatted down, to look into the younger girl's eyes. "Lana, right?"

The young girl nodded.

She paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, before taking a knee and placing her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Lana… I know that things are difficult, but don't you worry, we're taking good care of her." Her voice was filled with a warm heat, and yet, Lana couldn't help, but feel as if the icy cold of lies had buried itself within.

After that, Lana watched Maria check her twin's fluids and vitals, before grabbing a small vial from the delivery computer and connecting it to the fluid drip they had already running into her. Finally, the nurse calmly repositioned Lola, no doubt to keep her blood flowing despite being bed ridden. With that, she turned back to the duo. "Please… stay as long as you need. I have heard that talking to patients, even when in a… vegetative state, they can hear you and respond. And Lori."

The young woman turned to Maria.

"Please, feel free to call if you need anything," she finished.

And with that, she stepped back into the hallway, no doubt to attend to her other patients… leaving Lori and Lana behind in the room.

With that, Lori turned and took Lana's hand in her own. "Lana… do you wanna… say goodbye for now?"

For a moment, Lana considered her reply. Lola was still there, right? Well… her body was still here at least. And she could wake up at any moment! The young girl leaned forward, half-expecting her twin to sit upright in the hospital bed and groan about how she hadn't had enough beauty sleep or about how the random beeping noises were keeping her from falling asleep.

And yet, deep down, she knew that those were only ideas, hopeful dreams with no basis in reality.

With that, she took a deep breath and shook her head.

In response, Lori nodded, before tugging her along and together, making their way out of the hospital.

* * *

 

" _ **Watch out if you're driving in Royal Woods tonight! Summer may be over, but the its rains aren't! It's gonna be wet, wet, wet so bring your umbrellas and be careful! This is Perch Perkins of the Royal Woods Weather Station, signing off! And now to Patchy with sports!"**_

"Nothing's ever good on this station," Lori whispered as she turned off the radio, filling the Loud family van with silence once more. At this point, the sky was overcast over the town of Royal Woods, with small droplets of rain already making their way down.

Thankfully though, not too heavily when Lori pulled Vanzilla into her home's driveway.

"All right Lana, we're-" Lori tried to start, though Lana bother waiting. Instead, she opened up the door with a broken lock and stepped out into the rainy evening.

Immediately, Lori pulled the keys from the ignition and rushed to her feet. "Lana wait!" Thankfully, she was able to catch up before Lana hid herself away in the rainy-day chaos of their home. And when she did, she placed her hands on her younger sister's shoulders, before turning her around.

With that, Lana looked into Lori's downcast gaze for a moment, before looking away, not saying a word.

And so, Lori continued. "Lana… I know that was… hard to do…" she squatted down and spoke with a motherly tone, trying to put the younger girl at ease. "But just know that Lola-"

"Please, don't," Lana whispered, looking away as she did so.

Lori paused, before continuing. "…just know that, when she comes back, she's gonna love that dress. I know she will."

For a moment, Lana considered giving her sister a thankful reply, though decided against it at the thought. _"She probably wouldn't… it looks like something thrown together in a blender after all…"_ and so, she just shook her head, before turning and stepping into their home.

Leaving Lori to sigh in defeat. _"Oh Lana… if only…"_ before she followed.

At this point the rest of the Loud family had already returned from the failed birthday party and had already begun going off in their ways. Though for the most part, separate from each other. From what Lana could see, Luan was walking around the heavily-decorated living room, slowly and seemingly randomly removing the decorations for what should have been the best day of a six-year-old's life.

She stopped to watch her older sister work, taking in the sight of her slow, though seemingly pained motions, before looking away. _"Lola would want us to wait for her, right? She hated it whenever we would start a party without her."_

In the next moment, she found herself stepping forward, into the kitchen and passed her father. The soft scents of his art filled the air around him, painting the image of a young girl clad in pink for all of the family to see, though none would appreciate it until dinner came. _"Heh, Lola was always Ms. Prim and perfect, but loved messy foods…"_

Eventually, she found herself walking passed their oversized dining room table and over towards the door that led to the backyard. For a moment, she paused, taking in the sounds of the storm raging outside, drenching her little corner of the world in water.

" _I remember when I used to play outside in this weather… I loved spending time with Cliff and Charles…"_ a small pang filled her chest, though she did her best to ignore the feeling. _"But… I haven't done that in a month…"_ she looked out the window. _"Now that I think of it, rain showers like these usually happen during the summer, not October."_

She took a breath, chalking up the weird weather to some crazy conspiracy only Lisa would know about, before pushing the door open and stepping out into the rain-filled evening.

" _The backyard… so many memories here…"_ she thought, as her mind began to race once more, jumping from thought to thought and bringing the countless images of children growing up in a large family to the forefront.

And yet, despite the overwhelming ideas and memories, the young girl didn't seem interested in any of them. Rather, she looked down, trying to cut the thoughts off from her vision, before taking another step and making her way down the patio stairs.

As she stepped into the wet yard, she could feel the newly made mud brush up against the sides of her work boots. Normally she would enjoy the feeling, even going as far as to take said boots off and begin to swim in the stuff. And yet, rather than enjoy the sensation, she winced. _"Lola would be disgusted at me…"_

" _Lana…"_

Suddenly, the young girl looked up, hoping to see the source of the voice. Rather than the rain-filled evening she had stepped into, she now found herself standing in a bright summer morning.

"Hey! Slow down!" The voice continued again, before two girls ran into view. The first, a young blonde in overalls with the second being her spitting image, albeit wearing a pink dress. From what she could see, they were playing a game of tag, with the twin in overalls doing her best to keep ahead of her sister, only for her twin to pounce, causing them both to fall to the ground and the pink-clad girl to shout "tag! You're it!"

Immediately, Lana looked away, trying to purge the memory and sounds of young laughter from her psyche, only for the duo to reappear, this time swimming through a fresh layer of snow that had filled the backyard one cold Michigan winter. After a while, the one dressed in pink grabbed her sister, and together they got up and began to raise a snowman.

And once again, the young girl shook her head, desperately trying to tune out the visions her mind had projected for her, leading to her staring ahead, towards the tree under which they had made those promises so long ago.

" _I promise that I'll never stop loving you."_ Those words echoed through her mind once more, while the hand with which she had laced their promise began to tingle. _"And I promise to always love you too."_

She clutched her hand, desperately trying to calm herself down… only for the voice to cut in once more.

" _You're the worst sister ever! You think that this magnificent work of art, is just a dress?!"_

*Sniffle*

" _I've had it with you constantly dirtying my stuff! Because of you, I'm gonna have to go to regionals in my normal pageant gear! I'm gonna stick out like a sore thumb and lose now!"_

Suddenly, the sensation of a scratch streaked across her face, forcing Lana to place her hand over her cheek.

The one she had attacked all those months ago.

" _You're always messing stuff up! Because you decided to dumpster dive in the rain, you brought home the flu and got everyone sick! Your stupid, dirty pets always destroy my dollies! You're straight up disgusting! I wish you weren't my sister!"_

And with that, the image of her pink twin turning away and slamming the door behind her flashed before her eyes, while the bang that followed ringed in her ears.

In the next moment, Lana found herself clutching her fists, while tears began welling up in her eyes. _"Lola… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Let me make this right!"_ And yet, before she knew it, she sent her fist into the tree.

" _I promise to always love you!"_ Her thoughts rang out. " _You're the best sister a girl could ever want!"_ She pulled back, before she sent her other fist into the hard trunk. Soft tears began to rush down her cheeks at this point, though masked by the rain pouring over her.

" _You're the reason I got in that fight with Lindsey! If you had stayed away for just one day, then I wouldn't be in the hospital! Was it that hard to ask?!"_

She sent another assault against the tree, though this one left small patches of crimson in its wake.

" _Twins never leave each other behind, lets never get old!"_

"But I left her behind when she needed me the most!" Her angry voice cut through the heavy rain falling upon her as she continued her assault on the tree, though given her strength when compared to the plant, it dealt more damage to her little hands than she did to it.

" _It's my fault. It's all my fault! And I let her take the fall because of it!"_

Several minutes followed after that, before she fell to her knees at the base of the tree. The rain mixed with her salty tears, soaking her face and clothes.

" _Lola's gone because of me…"_ she found herself falling forward and landing on her injured hands. _"I let her down…"_

"Lana!" A familiar voice called out, though the young girl didn't react.

A moment later, Lincoln rushed to his little sister's side. "Lana! What are you doing out here?! It-" yet, his voice trailed off at the sight of his little sister's hands. "L-Lana… what did you-"

Yet, before he could finish, the young girl rushed to her feet and turned, shoving her brother out of the way as she did so. "Get out of my way!" Before she bolted away from her brother and rushed back into her home.

"Lana! Wait! Your hands!" Lincoln turned to try and catch up, only to fall facedown in the mud.

Inside, Lana found herself rushing passed the remaining occupants of the home, before she burst through her room door. She didn't hesitate to slam it behind her and lock it, cutting off the outside world.

"Lana!" she could hear Lincoln band on the door, truing desperately to get her to come out, even if only to ask what happened… only for someone to come by and no doubt tell him to give her space.

With that, Lana found herself sliding down the door, looking blankly ahead as she did so. _"It's all my fault that Lola… that she is like that… I'm the worst sister ever…"_

*Ring*

"Huh?" Lana looked up, towards the source: a certain wooden pole with red fabric dangling from a hanger, its bells stirred up by the whirlwind of activity that she had brought with her into the room. _"The ribbon?"_ slowly, she found herself standing up and stepping towards it. _"It… it's calling to me…"_ carefully, she took the stick and fabric in her bloody hands, before carefully wrapping it around her hands. _"I'll always love you, Lana,"_ a familiar voice echoed through her mind.

She softly nuzzled the ribbon, doing her best to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes once more, only to fail. *Sniffle* "And I promise to always love you too, Lola."

With that, Lana turned away and stepped towards her bed, before climbing inside and curling up into a ball, with the ribbon held firmly in her grip.

"I promise Lola, I will always Love you… and I will make things right, I promise…"

9 23-15-14-4-5-18 8-15-23 20-8-5 15-20-8-5-18-19 1-18-5 4-15-9-14-7. 23-9-20-8 1-12-12 20-8-5 6-15-3-21-19 15-14 12-1-14-1 9-20-'19 5-1-19-25 20-15 6-15-18-7-5-20 23-5 8-1-22-5 15-20-8-5-18-19 20-15 23-15-18-11 23-9-20-8! 1-6-20-5-18 1-12-12, 9-20 4-15-5-19-14-'20 12-15-15-11 12-9-11-5 12-21-1-14-'19 8-1-22-9-14-7 6-21-14 21-14-4-5-3-15-18-1-20-9-14-7 20-8-5 16-12-1-3-5…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N And that’s chapter 5 finally in the record books! I hope you guys enjoyed! As always R&R, fave and follow! Also, here’s a hint at what’s coming in the next chapter! It involves that cryptogram up there and Lana’s crush!
> 
> See you next time! I’ll try not to take a month to update next time!


	6. A New Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hey guys! I'm back! Yeah, yeah, I know this update took forever to make, but I'm busy with college! Yes, I'm taking summer classes. Thankfully though, I was able to finish this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> R&R!

Chapter Six: A New Idea

"Lana!" Lincoln frantically slammed his fist against her room door, worry filling his voice. "Please! Open up! I wanna help you! What's going on?!"

Nothing. He received no reply in response.

"Please…" he whispered, leaning forward on the door. "Please… I wanna help you…" And yet, much to his dismay, he only received soft whimpers in response.

"Lincoln?" Lori stepped over, her gaze filled with concern. "What's going on?"

The young boy immediately turned to his sister, panic filling his voice. "Lori! I saw Lana outside and she doing something and she ran away and, and!" he pointed at the room door. "She… she!"

"Lincoln!" The young woman took her brother's shoulders in her hands and shook him, forcing him to stop talking for a moment.

"Huh?" he stammered in reply.

"Calm down," she ordered, looking into his eyes. "And tell me what happened."

He paused, before taking a breath and responding. "Lana's hurt!" he flared his arms, trying to emphasize his point. "I saw her punching the tree outside and when I tried to get her to come inside, she ran away!" He turned back to the door. "And then she came up here and locked the door…" he looked down, towards the floor. "I just wanted to help her…"

" _This is because of what happened today…"_ her gaze fell downcast as she looked away in thought, before she stepped forward, passed her brother and took hold of the doorknob. _"I hope this still works… I remember Lana mentioning that she wanted to fix the locks for Lola's privacy when she got back…"_

Lincoln tilted his head in confusion. "Uhh… what're you doing?"

" _Just a turn this way and a giggle that way and…"_ Lori thought as she fumbled with the lock. *click* _"Gotcha,"_ before glancing at her brother and whispering. "Oh nothing, just a little trick I learned for opening doors around here."

Immediately the boy's eyes went wide. _"Note to self, get one of Lana's friends to fix my room's lock when I get the chance,"_ he watched as Lori leaned over and peered into the room that just a moment before had been sealed off to the outside world. From what she could see, Lana had curled up on her bed, clutching the ribbon that her twin had once made dance through the air. She listened in, hoping to hear the soft snores, only to be met by calm whimpers instead. With that, she sighed, before carefully closing the door once more.

"So, uhh… what's going on?" the boy leaned in, curiosity and concern filling his voice

Lori shook her head and sighed. "Lincoln… from the looks of it, Lana's resting right now. So I don't think it'd be a good idea to try and talk to her for a while."

"But what about her hands?" He raised his left fist while using his right hand to point at it. "They were all bloody and stuff, what if something bad happens?!

" _Normally it'd be a bit serious, but this is Lana… she's swam through garbage before with more than those cuts. I don't think we'd have to worry much but… I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least do something…"_ she rubbed her chin. "How about this, you go get the first-aid kit and we'll take a look at them in the morning, all right?"

Lincoln looked up to his sister for a moment, before looking away and giving a small nod. "All right Lori…"

And with that, the young woman nodded as well. "Now, go get some sleep. We're probably gonna have to clean up the party stuff in the morning," before she stepped into her own room, leaving the boy alone in the hallway.

He took one final glance at the door that separated him from his little sister, before he sighed in defeat. _"As much as we try to hide it… things just aren't the same after the accident,"_ slowly, he turned and took a step towards his own room's door.

*Crash* "Whoa!" a voice cried out! Only for a *thud* followed by several *honks!* to radiate from behind him.

"What the?" Immediately, Lincoln turned back, only to find Luan lying face-down in a pile of assorted party supplies. His eyes went wide, while his voice filled with panic. "Luan! Are you all right?!" He quickly rushed to her side, shaking her as he landed on his knees.

In response, she raised her head and gave him a sheepish smile. "Oh hey Link! It looks like this act just **fell flat**! Haha!"

Lincoln gave a small chuckle. _"She's making jokes, at least I know she's not too badly hurt,"_ he got up on his feet and offered her his hand. "Heh, well at least you're all right."

"What? You thought I was gonna make like a banana and split?" She threw her head back in laughter. "Haha!" she wiped a tear from her eye, before rolling onto her back and taking Lincoln's hand. "Anyways, thanks, now time for little ol' me to do a cute little dance outta here!" and with that she immediately began grabbing the supplies.

"Uhh, want some help?" Lincoln tilted his head in curiosity. "Also, aren't you gonna just throw those out?"

"Usually I would, but uhh…" she looked towards her brother and then quickly back at her supplies. "Umm, there's gonna be another birthday party tomorrow and since I spent so much time getting today's party together I can't uhh… go to the store to buy more! Right!" she finished grabbing the stuff. "Now time to pack these things up like sardines! That way I don't end up sleepin' with the fishes tomorrow!"

"Oh do you-" Lincoln tried to reply and yet, before he could finish, Luan had already run into her room and slammed the door shut behind he. "…want help?" he paused for a moment, before sighing and walking over to his room. _"I wonder what's going on with Luan… she's never forgotten about a party before…"_

With that he closed his own door behind him and leaned back against it. _"I guess Operation 'Cheer Up Lana With A Super Awesome Party And Come Up With A Shorter Name For This Operation' failed… And after all the work we put in trying to make it perfect for her…"_ he bowed his head. _"I guess there really is only one thing that could get her to cheer up… but mom and dad told us not to tell her…"_

" _So what can we do? I just don't know…"_ Slowly he found himself standing up once more and moving towards his bed, only for his foot to hit a small object pushed under his bed. Quietly, he pulled it out, a small book with a rainbow unicorn drawn on the cover. _"She always loved it when I'd help her read this…"_ he fought back the urge to tear up for a moment, only for the soft, salty liquid to soon find its way down his cheeks. He hugged the book, before climbing into his bed, wrapping himself up in its covers and dozing off for the night.

* * *

*Ring!* The sound echoed through the morning time home, urging the resting inhabitants to wake up and answer for the person who had decided to come visit surprisingly early.

*Ring!* It echoed once more, causing a certain young girl to begin to stir from her slumber. Normally, she found herself being quite the heavy sleeper, especially given how she had to sleep through her twin's snoring along with her siblings' nighttime antics. And yet, she found herself sleeping lighter than usual given the events of the previous day.

*Ring!* It sounded for the third time. At this point, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. _"Please… stop… I just wanna sleep… I wanna see her again…"_ she threw her arms out at her sides, allowing the ribbon she had fallen asleep clutching to roll over, though it remained in reach.

*Ring!* *Ring!* *Ring!*

" _How can one person take that many shocks?! Don't they know when to quit?!"_ Lana grabbed her pillow and put it on top of her face, following it up with a frustrated scream, before she threw it aside and forced herself upright.

*Ring!* "Ugh, fine!" She shouted, before rushing to her feet. "I'm coming!" she sighed in defeat, before giving herself a glance in the mirror. At this point, she looked like a mess, with her hair bunched up, hat barely sitting on her head and overalls lazily hanging onto her body. _"Lola would tell me to go get cleaned up if she saw me like this…"_

She shook her head, before heading out of her room… Only to be met by the sounds of Lisa typing away on her computer. "Ugh! I do not see the appeal of this game, it's only a puzzle system using a set of inter-dimensional tunnels as the mechanism by which to solve each chamber!"

" _ **Please place the weighted storage cube on the fifteen-hundred Megawatt Aperture Science Heavy Duty Super-Colliding Super Button."**_

"Ugh?! Why is this so difficult?! This stupid AI is even telling me what to do!" Lisa slammed her face against her keyboard in frustration.

" _Lisa playing video games? That's… weird…"_ Lana shook her head. _"But… I'd rather not question it…"_

*Ring!*

" _Right… that's still a thing!"_ The young girl continued forward. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Before slowly making her way down the stairs… only to find Lori already standing by the open front door.

"Oh, hi there," Lana overheard her greet.

"Hi, I'm looking for Lana? I'm one of her friends and well… she hasn't shown up for our meetings and stuff and I wanted to find out if she was all right and wanted to hang out and stuff…"

Lori paused, before looking away and giving him a small frown. "I'm sorry, but Lana's not feeling all to well right now. Maybe if you come back later, I'd sure she'd love to see you."

The boy's voice fell downcast in response. "Oh… I just thought that… since we haven't hung out…"

"Skippy?" Lana stepped out from behind her sister and tilted her head in curiosity. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh Lana, there you are!" Immediately the young boy's face went slightly red as he rubbed the back of his head and looked away slightly. "Oh, I just came by, ya know, because I wanted to make sure everything's going all right with ya. You missed the weekly meeting of the bike repair club. Plus, I was wondering if you, ya know, wanted to go to the ice cream parlor. There's a two-for-one deal there and I know how much you love them."

The young girl's gaze softened. "Oh, well that sounds cool I guess…"

"So, wanna hang out today?" Skippy cheerfully asked, only to pull back and rub his arm. "If you want to of course."

Lana hesitated, before rubbing her arm as well. "I dunno, I mean… I'd have to ask for permission and you know, my parents might have plans and stuff and…"

"Don't worry, I've got you covered," Lori replied by grabbing her bag and pulling out a set of care keys. "I'll even give you a ride, I don't mind."

"You sure?" she looked towards her older sister in surprise.

Yet, Lori just nodded. "Of course," before she took a knee in front of her little sister and pulled a small box from her purse. "But first… show me your hands."

Slowly, Lana raised the appendages, allowing the wounds she had inflicted upon herself the night before to come into view. Lori took a soft breath at the sight, before grabbing some alcohol pads from the container to clean them with, following that up with some small bandages for her knuckles. "Better?"

The young girl nodded. "…Thanks Lori…"

She nodded in reply. "Please… don't do that again… you really worried Lincoln last night…" she pulled her into a small hug. "Please, we don't want you hurt, ok?"

"…Ok…" she whispered in reply, allowing Lori to break the embrace. "Now, let's go to the ice cream parlor. I'm pretty sure the line's gonna get longer to more we wait. Into the van!"

"Right," Lana replied. And with that, she, Lori and Skippy hopped in Vanzilla and drove off.

_ **A Few Minutes Later...** _

"Man, Atlas' World Carrying Ice Cream is the best in town!" Skippy raised his cone up in display. "So creamy and filling! It's the perfect blend of sweet and softness! It's pure perfection!" before he brought it down to give his cone another lick. "I just wish we were allowed to pick different flavors, ya know? It's no fun when you have to get the same one as someone else…"

"Yeah…" Lana stared at her cone, a hint of disgust permeating her tongue. _"I hate cookie dough, but it was her favorite…"_

The boy took another lick of his cone. "But hey! At least it's not Dante's Spicy Ice! That stuff's so cold that it burns!" Skippy shivered slightly. "I remember the first time I tried it, my little brother tricked me saying it was a new flavor," he shook his head. "I couldn't get that taste out of my mouth for a whole week!"

Lana gave a small chuckle in response. "Heh… sounds like something they'd do…" she didn't move her focus away from the cone. _"Sounds like something Lola would do when she was mad and wanted to get back at someone for whatever reason…"_

"You ever try it?" he turned to her in curiosity.

Immediately, Lana snapped to him, before quickly turning back. "Yeah…" she gave a fond smile. "My sister… Lola… she made a bet with me saying that I'd have to stop cutting her dolls' hair off if I couldn't chug the whole thing," she started to laugh. "You should've seen her face when I downed the whole thing!"

"Sounds funny," Skippy gave a small chuckle.

"It was. After I beat her, she tried to one up me, only to give her tongue freeze-burn!" she refocused her gaze upon the cone with a small smile. _"Maybe a lick wouldn't hurt."_

"Your sister sounds awesome," quickly, the boy finished off his ice cream cone, before placing his hands behind his head and looking up towards the autumn sky.

"She is…" Lana's voice trailed off.

*Ding!* Echoed through the calm air, prompting the young woman accompanying them to pull out her phone. "Oh look! Bobby just texted me saying he's gonna be over there!" She immediately pointed at some random spot underneath a nearby tree. "I'm gonna go meet him! Why don't you two, ya know, have fun while I wait?!"

Lana raised a finger to object, only for her sister to place her hands on the young girl's shoulder, wink and put her hand on her mouth. "Don't worry, you'll thank me later," she quickly ran off. "Coming Boo-Boo Bear!"

For a moment, the duo stood by in confusion, before Lana shook her head. "Well that was… unexpected…" she gave her ice cream cone a small lick, and winced slightly. _"I don't get why Lola loved this flavor so much… it tastes so… bland! The chocolate's fine, but the dough is…"_ her thoughts trailed off.

"Welp, I guess we're gonna just… wait for your sister right?" Skippy placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Right?"

She shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt…" she began continuing down the path, with her companion running over to keep up with her. Quietly, they simply walked by, talking in the soft fall air around them. The autumn sun radiated above them, while countless other children played around them, with some using the water guns more characteristic of summer than of fall.

"So, uhh… what's goin' on, Lana?" the boy turned to the girl. "You uhh… never really told me what was going on and stuff."

"Nothing," Lana took another lick of her cone, and looked away, unwilling to make eye contact with the boy.

"How are you doing?" he continued, more curiosity filling his voice.

The young girl shrugged. "Fine I guess," she took a lick of the treat. While she disliked the flavor, she couldn't help but feel closer to Lola as she consumed it. _"I'll never understand why she liked this so much…"_

"Ya know… you're not really talking about your sister much," he tilted his head at her. "Last time we hung out you couldn't stop talking about her, remember?"

Lana replied by accidently biting her ice cream cone. _"You just had to mention her…"_

"How's she doing? I mean… if she's doing all right and stuff," he gave her a nervous smile. "The last time we talked you told me that she managed to go to regionals and the you were really happy for her or something."

" _You're the worst sister ever!"_ the young girl crushed the bottom of her ice cream cone in reply, causing the melting liquid to begin to flow down her hand. _"All you do is mess everything up!"_ meanwhile tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Immediately, Skippy rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh… it didn't go too well huh?"

" _You could say that,"_ she shook her head. "No, it didn't," she quickly wiped her tears and waved him off. "It's just, she's sick right now, that's why I'm not talking about her much," her tone willed with awkwardness. "Ya know, like she always says, you can't get your beauty rest if everyone's talking about you! Right?"

Skippy shrugged in reply. "I guess that makes sense," he chuckled. "Man, there's nothing I wouldn't do for my brother."

Lana looked to him in curiosity. "Oh? What do you mean?"

"Like you and your sister," he replied. "No matter what I'd be there for him," he shook his head. "I remember one time he told me that he was being bullied by some kids on the playground, so I went and beat them up for him!"

"Sounds tough," Lana walked over to a trashcan and threw the remains of the cone out.

"It was," he continued. "But I didn't care. I'd go to the ends of the Earth if that meant making sure he was safe ya know?"

" _But when she needed me, I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most…"_ the young girl remained silent, unsure of just how to respond to her companion's words.

"Even if I messed up big time, I'd do anything I could to make up for it," he turned to her. "And I know you'd do the same for Lola, right?"

"Yeah…" her voice trailed off in uncertainty. _"Anything I could to wake her up…"_ her mind immediately jumped to another thought. _"Actions you undertake while she is in her current state may contribute to her current condition…"_

" _I promise to do anything for her,"_ slowly, Lana found her eyes going wide in realization. _"So beat them up for him. It's Lindsey's fault that Lola's stuck like that now…"_ she clutched her fists. _"So if I wanna get her to wake up, I have to beat up the bullies that did it to her!"_ her once downcast expression slowly turned to one of excitement. Quickly, she pulled her companion into an embrace, before shouting. "Skippy! Thank you! I get it now! I know what I have to do!"

"Huh?" Skippy went in confusion, only for Lana to break the embrace and run off, her own heart racing in excitement.

* * *

" _I promise I'll always love you!"_ Lana's mind raced as she ran down the winding roads of Royal Woods. Despite the hot autumn day, Lana ignored the salty sweat rushing down her neck and filling her eyes. Rather, she kept moving forward, her heart beating faster than it ever had before. _"Even if she's gone, she's always watching over in spirit,"_ she clutched her fists, while ducking and dodging the random townsfolk trying to enjoy the warm weather. _"Lola, if you can hear me now, I promise, I'm gonna help you wake up! And I'm gonna start with the thing you didn't get to do because of the accident!"_

With that, she made a hard right and rushed down Franklin Avenue, only stopping momentarily to open the front door, following it up by rushing into her home. _"And there's only one person I know who can help me do it!"_

"Oh! There you are Lana!" Leni greeted, while holding up a small sheet of thread that she was turning into a new dress. "I have a new dress that I was wondering-"

"Sorry Leni! Maybe later! I just thought of a way to wake up Lola!" the young girl bolted passed her older sister and up the stairs, her steps reverberating throughout the home as she did so. _"I can't waste time! Every second wasted is another second I could be spending getting ready to save her!"_

With that in mind, she turned and ran into her room, slamming the door shut behind her as she did so. She panted in exhaustion for a moment, before shaking her head and stepping towards her bed. _"I'm gonna do this for you Lola. I promise."_

Slowly, she took hold of the pole that had seen the red ribbon soar through the air during her twin's routine, and embraced it. _"A spoken promise laced in red ribbon,"_ before she pulled back and separated it from the rod. _"Lola's gonna be so annoyed when she gets back… she always complained about how hard it was to put this thing together…"_ she shook her head. _"But she'll understand. I'm doing this for her."_

She then let out a breath, before removing the ties that held her hair in its signature pigtail shape. While she didn't enjoy having them that way, she preferred it in order to prevent her hair from getting tangled while she worked.

But for her, this next job was more important than anything else.

And so, she pulled the bands out, causing her relatively short hair to loosen up. She then unfurled the ribbon, before bunching up her own hair. Then, carefully, she wrapped the ribbon around it, before creating a small bow with the tie, leaving her hair in the shape of a ponytail. _"Let's go Lola. I won't let you down!"_

With that, she rushed out of her room once more and made a hard left, wasting no time knocking on her only brother's door. "Lincoln! Are you up?! I really need your help!"

Slowly, the young boy opened the door, only to reveal the fact that he was still in his nightclothes and was clutching Bun Bun in his left hand still. "Huh? Lana? What's going on?"

Immediately, Lana clasped her hands together and bowed her head before him. "Lincoln, I think I know how to wake up Lola!" She looked into his eyes with a begging gaze. "I wanna win the pageant that she wasn't able to and finally beat Lindsey! But to do that, I need training again! Can you please help me."

" _I need training… pageant training,"_ Lincoln winced in reply. _"Lola… no…"_ he shook his head. "Lana…"

The young girl looked up to him. "Please Lincoln! I know this'll work! It just has to!"

Yet, Lincoln replied by turning away. "Lana, I'm sorry… but I just… I can't," he shook his head. _"No… I can't let her do that. Lola was willing to take all the risks but I just can't; I can't let Lana do the same. I don't want her getting hurt too!"_ he glanced at her once more with a regretful eye, before closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry Lana…"

Leaving his little sister alone in the hallway once more. Quietly, she fell to her knees and moved forward to land on her hands. _"Dangit!"_ soft tears began to make their way down her cheeks. _"I'm closer than ever! I can't give up now!"_ she shook her head. _"But without pageant training, how else can I beat Lindsey?"_

" _ **Revenge!"**_ The robotic voice from earlier called out. _**"You like revenge, right? Everybody likes revenge! Well let's go get some!"**_

"Yes! Yes! I will detach this idiotic core from the mainframe! It's what you get for sending me down a mineshaft that should've killed me!" Lisa shouted in reply, no doubt not realizing just how loud her speakers were.

" _Revenge…"_ Lana clutched her fists, before punching the floor and pushing herself up. _"He was being bullied by some kids on the playground, so I went and beat them up for him!"_ Lana touched the ribbon now keeping her hair in place, before nodding. _"All right then, let's go get some revenge Lola. I promise, everything's gonna be all right._ "

And with that, she rushed out the door and into the warm autumn day.

13-1-14, 9 1-12-13-15-19-20 6-15-18-7-15-20 20-8-1-20 12-9-19-1 23-1-19 2-1-4 1-20 7-1-13-5-19. 9-'13 19-21-18-16-18-9-19-5-4 19-8-5 23-1-19 1-2-12-5 20-15 2-5-1-20 16-15-18-20-1-12 9-14 10-21-19-20 1 6-5-23 8-15-21-18-19 20-8-15-21-7-8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N One chapter on the books! I hope you guys enjoyed! Next up on the schedule, what happened that started this all! See you guys in a few weeks! Until next time!
> 
> Also, since it's summer, updates are more sporadic. I typically work in the college library so that it's easier for me to work, but given how I don't have much access to it at the moment… yeah… I probably should've warned you guys sooner.
> 
> Lastly, the Bun Bun story is in production! You should be expecting it soon! Along with a one-shot based on something someone sent me!


	7. A Dish Best Served Hot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hey guys! It's been two weeks! As such, I was able to finish off the next chapter of this story for ya guys! Also, i apologize if this feels a bit rushed, I have an explanation for that in the other A/N. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> R&R!

Chapter Seven: A Dish Best Served Hot

" _No…"_ the word repeated through Lincoln's mind as he held the handle to the door he had used to shut his sister out. " _Not again… I can't do it again…"_ in that moment, thoughts he believed to have been long-since repressed began to rush forward, clouding the forefront of his mind with the hopes and dreams of one departed from him. "Not again. No… I just can't…" he paused, his mind cloudy and his breath heavy, before he looked up, calmed his gaze and spoke up. "Lucy, I know you're there. You can come out now."

Silence passed by in response, filling the room with an uncertain heat.

"I can hear you breathing, I know you're there," he continued, his voice taking on a firm tone. "Stop hiding."

"Sigh," a soft voice went in reply, before the vent into his room opened up, and from it a young girl crawled out and climbed to her feet.

"How much did you see?" Regret filled the boy's tone.

Lucy hesitated her answer for a moment, seemingly unsure of just how to answer her brother. And yet, she found herself simply asking. "Why?"

Lincoln looked down in response, the words refusing to come to him.

"You told me how much you miss helping Lola get ready for her pageants… so why not help Lana too?" The young girl began to rub her arm. "I mean… it couldn't hurt that much, right?"

He paused in reply. "No," before shaking his head. "I just can't do it again," he turned to face his sister, though found his gaze moving away as his face contorted in pain. "Lola was… she was…" he paused, trying to find the words, and yet only found them eluding his tongue. "… But… pageantry caused her accident. I don't want it to happen to Lana too," he shook his head. "I think it's better for her if she stays away from that life."

She hesitated her response, before raising her voice. "But-"

"Don't try Lucy," Lincoln cut her off, his gaze moving passed the long black locks that covered her blue pupils and into her eyes, his voice filling with a commanding heat while his own expression filled with tears. "It's better this way, I just know it is."

For a moment, Lucy considered prodding further, to urge her brother into acting. And yet, she found herself simply nodding along. "All right then. Sigh," before she disappeared from voice, leaving Lincoln alone in his room once more.

He let out a breath with that, before slowly turning to face the mirror. _"Lana is gonna get through this. She's a hardy girl, one of the hardiest you know and Lola will wake up, just like the doctors said she would…"_ he gazed into his reflection for a moment, his cloudy thoughts now returning to the forefront of his mind. _"But what if you had the chance to help her?"_ he look down, before shaking his head to purge the idea from his mind. _"No, even if there's a chance… I… I can't risk Lana. I don't want her getting hurt too."_

With that, he changed out of his nightclothes and got ready for the day.

* * *

" _Dangit, I guess I really messed up this time,"_ Lana took a breath and shook her head as she stepped into the kitchen to grab herself a snack. _"I've never seen Lola get that angry before. I know she doesn't like getting dirty, but dang… she's never told me to not come to her pageants!"_ she sighed, opened up the fridge and pulled out some pudding. _"Oh well then I guess,"_ she mentally waved herself off. _"I'm sure it's really nothing. I'll just clean up her dress when she gets back so she can wear it next time."_

*Slam!* The sound echoed through the home, causing Lana to turn towards the source: Lori, grasping the sides of the kitchen entrance while panting in exhaustion.

"Huh? Lori? What's going on?" Lana tilted her head in confusion. "And why does it look like you just ran a mile or something?"

"No time to explain!" The young woman wasted no time grabbing her younger sister and pulling, causing the young girl to effectively fly out the door along with her. "Lola got hurt! We're going to the hospital!"

* * *

" _You weren't there when she needed you,"_ the thought rushed through Lana's mind, causing the young girl to shake her head. _"I wasn't there…"_ she carefully rolled behind a bush, before pushing some of the leaves aside. _"There it is, the place where I'll find her,"_ she focused her gaze upon her destination, a small, house-like building with an oversized window in the front, allowing passersby to see the work going on inside. _"I'm gonna bring you back Lola, and it starts with getting back at the girl who caused you to be like that!"_

With that, she crawled out from the bush and rolled, hugging the wall as she approached the practice hall. _"Don't worry Lola, don't you worry…"_ for a moment, she closed her eyes, the world around shifting ever so slightly, back to that faithful afternoon. She found her heart racing once again, as she and her sister rushed passed the building Lola had gone to for her training on their way to Royal Woods General Hospital.

"Lola's hurt?!" Lana shouted as she found herself trying desperately to keep up with her sister, though her small legs struggled to move quickly enough. "What happened?!"

Lori held onto her tightly, aiding the young girl in keeping up. "I don't know! I just saw that girl, what was her name? Sweetwater! Running and telling all the coaches that something happened with Lola! And when we went inside, she was…" the young woman paused. "She was very badly hurt."

* * *

Once again, Lana shook her head, returning herself to the reality of her situation. _"Lindsey's the target. That means I have to be careful,"_ she peered over the alleyway wall, focusing her gaze upon the front door to the hall. _"Lola used to tell me how dangerous you were, Sweetwater. About how you used to set up traps to thin out the competition, though Lola was always smart enough to beat you. But in the end, you went too far. You hurt Lola, and now I'm gonna make you pay!"_

A moment of silence passed after that with Lana's heart racing in anticipation while her mind wandered off the front door and onto the building itself. _"I remember when mom first signed us up for these. I was never into the idea of dressing up and parading around like a princess, but Lola…_ she loved every second of it…" Lana sighed, before steeling her gaze one more. _"But that's beside the point._ _I know she's here. Lola always said she basically lived at the training hall! I just have to-"_

*Ring!* The front door to the building went, followed by a certain young girl stepping out. "See ya guys later!"

From what Lana could see, she was a girl about her own height, with fair skin not too dissimilar from hers. She had long, orange hair that ended in loops as well as soft blue eyes. Lastly, she wore a light blue pageant gown and bow in her hair with matching gloves.

If she didn't know any better, she could have mistaken her for her twin.

" _There you are, the girl who hurt my sister,"_ Lana closed her eyes and placed a soft hand upon the ribbon that now held her hair in a ponytail. _"Don't worry Lola. It's almost time to make her pay. All I've gotta do is catch up to her,"_ With that, she opened up once more, allowing her to watch as Lindsey turned and began to stroll away in the opposite direction.

With that, Lana stepped out from her hiding place and headed directly for the young girl. Thankfully, Lindsey seemed oblivious to the girl trailing behind her, rather she went along quietly, content with the world as it seemed.

And yet she couldn't help, but feel like something was off.

" _Easy does it,"_ Lana thought, as she quickly jumped from cover to cover, doing her best to seem out of sight to her prey. _"What did Lola say about stalking someone? If you want to catch them, you have to be sneaky,"_ she rolled, before hurrying to her feet. _"I have to hurry though, if she gets out of town she'll be able to get home and then I'll never be able to get revenge for Lola!"_ with that, she trailed behind the orange-haired girl, doing her best to not seem too out-of-the-ordinary.

Of course though, this didn't last for long. Lindsey glanced back, taking note of the figure lurking behind her, and decided to speed up. Lana couldn't tell why though, so she decided to speed up as well, doing her best to keep pace with her.

Slowly, Lindsey made a hard right at a nearby intersection, cutting out from Lana's view for just a short moment. _"I can't lose her!"_ Suddenly, Lana felt adrenaline rushing through her veins once more, with her heart racing once more. _"Run!"_ she thought, though she couldn't tell why. That was, until she reached the corner and found that Lindsey had made a break for the suburbs upon turning that corner. _"You're not getting away that easily, Sweetwater!"_

The young girl clenched her fists with that, before bolting as well. _"Here's to hoping Lynn's running lessons pay off!"_ With that, the duo made their way through the center of Royal Woods, their route taking turns and spins as the head tried to break away from the tail, while the tail stayed close in pursuit.

For a moment, the maze-like streets of Royal Woods seemed to morph, the sunny autumn light changing into the sterile white of a hospital corridor. _"Where is she?!"_ The young girl panicked. _"I have to see my sister again!"_ Quickly, she turned, before rushing down another seemingly random hallway. _"I'm lost…"_

She turned again, only to be met by a corridor's end, meaning she would have to double back and continue her search. Like a rat in a maze, she was trapped, constricted by the cold white walls and unfeeling professionals that filled the space between them.

And yet she pushed forward. _"I can't give up, I have to find her!"_ And with that, she pushed onwards, her goal ever so close and yet so far away.

* * *

In the next moment, she was back on the trail of Lindsey Sweetwater, the orange-haired girl having turned down a nearby alleyway in hopes of escaping her pursuer. _"The arcade is at the end of that one,"_ with that, she turned and stopped at the mouth of the opening.

Ahead of her, stood the pageant princess, clawing at the wall standing between her and escape, but to no avail. Lana had finally cornered her. There was no way out this time.

"Lindsey Sweetwater?" Lana spoke up, her voice harsh while she clenched her fists.

For a moment, the young girl paused, before turning to face her. "Looks like the end of the line, huh? I'll admit, I kinda expected this to happen… I always saw it in those cowboy revenge movies," she sighed in resignation. "Before you start, I just wanna say… I'm sorry for what happened."

Lana paused, before raising her fist. In that instant, she didn't care for the apology, nor did she bother replying to what had been said. Instead, she pushed forward and swung.

*Smack!* The sound echoed through the alleyway as Lindsey fell to the ground, a red mark now staining the skin of her cheek. "You hit hard, just like she did…"

Slowly, Lindsey stood up once more. And yet, rather than raise her fists in retaliation, she held her arms out, looking as if she were asking for a hug of some kind.

Without hesitation, the young plumber steeled herself and let out another punch, striking Lindsey in the abdomen and knocking the wing out from under her, causing her to double over in pain.

And yet, though it took a moment, Lindsey stood up once more. "I'm not gonna fight you," she whispered in a raspy voice, followed by her holding out her arms once more.

In her frustration, Lana tried to scratch her, though given how unlike her twin, she never sharpened her nails, it became more of a slap than anything else. It still managed to send her reeling back to the ground, the mark now staining the opposite cheek.

And again, without a single word, she stood back up, prompting Lana to clench her fists and swing again. "Fight back!" she cried, frustration filling her voice. "Why won't you fight back?!"

"Because I deserve this," Lindsey whispered as Lana sent another punch to her abdomen, though this time, her punch wasn't as painful, though that was probably due to the exhaustion that had begun to overtake the young plumber.

"Come on!" Lana shouted, her voice filled with pain. "Fight me like you did Lola! You put her in the hospital!" Tears began to flow down her cheeks, as did Lindsey's. "Come on! I know you have it in you!"

And yet, Lindsey didn't respond, choosing instead to keep her arms outstretched, waiting for Lana to finish.

Slowly, Lindsey's features began to shift. Her eyes softening from brown to blue with the curls in her hair smoothening out, before the strands took on an almost golden hue.

"Stop just standing there!" She closed her eyes as she continued the assault, her voice became weary while Lindsey's frilly green dress straightened out and took on a glittery pink. "Fight me! Please, fight me!"

Exhaustion soon set in upon her, prompting her to open her eyes, only to be met by her twin, standing before her, bruised, but with her arms outstretched, waiting for her embrace. "Lola…" Lana whispered, before she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks "Lola…"

*Whimper* Lindsey finally went, tears of her own beginning to flow as well.

" _She… she's crying…"_ the plumber's harsh gaze softened with that. _"She… she doesn't want to fight me,"_ slowly, Lana stood up once more. And yet, rather than prepare another attack, she found herself stepping closer to Lindsey, taking in her familiar, and yet so different features.

"Lola was my rival, but I wish we could've been friends," the pageant princess whispered. "I know that I hurt her… if it wasn't for me she'd-"

And yet, Lana found herself wrapping her arms around the young girl, returning the embrace she had long-since desired to receive. "Lindsey…"

Without another word, Lindsey pulled Lana closer, with all of her remaining strength. "I'm sorry… if I could see Lola again, I'd tell her that too."

" _Same here…"_ Lana thought, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in the hospital once more, surrounded by the random people who passed through its halls every day: those occupied with others to take note of the child's plight. _"Lola… I need you… where are you?"_

She found herself stepping through the hospital once more, holding her arm awkwardly as she wandered, searching for her other half, hidden within one of the rooms.

And yet, she simply find herself pushed by the winds of harsh reality. _"I need you Lola, please… answer me!"_

Eventually though, the young plumber found herself in the hospital's pediatric ward once more, surrounded by the decorated walls meant to cater to the children passing through that place.

And yet, rather than comforting, she couldn't help, but feel slightly off put by the sight.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry…" A familiar voice spoke up, prompting her to peek into a nearby room. Inside, she found her parents, as well as the doctor from before standing at the side of her sister's body, with her sister hooked up to the random tubes and machines no doubt required to keep her stable. "But… we've done everything we could for the time being. For now… well… we can monitor her and inform you if something about her condition changes…"

Those words ringed in her mind. _"But… doctors could do anything right? They have to be able to help Lola! They just have to!"_

"What are we gonna do, Lynn?" Rita turned and leaned into her husband's arms. "The kids are gonna be worried and we don't know what to do and what if they ask questions, how'll we answer them?!"

Yet, Lynn Sr. held his wife close, using his heat to comfort her. "Don't worry dear, we'll figure something out. But for now, we have to stay strong, for them, all right? Let's go tell them the news. They're gonna start getting worried…"

Rita gave a small nod with that, before the two parents and doctors made their way out of the room, thankfully not noticing the child listening in from the outside.

" _Lola… I have to see you again…"_ carefully, the young girl approached the bed upon which her sister lay. Her mind and heart raced, staying off the beat set by her sister's respirator and monitor. At this point, Lola's body was mangled, with tubes and lines of all kinds flowing in and out of her along with bandages covering the various cuts and bruises she had sustained from the accident. No doubt the most important thing though, were the bandages around her head, most likely from the emergency surgery they had performed just a few moments prior.

" _No…"_ Lana reached out to her twin, only to find herself stopping short, unwilling to touch her once more, to feel her skin brush up against her own, just like old times. _"This is all my fault! All because I ruined her dress!"_

In the next moment, Lana found the world around her shift once more, leaving her clutching the girl she believed to be the cause of her misery.

Slowly, she let go of Lindsey and turned away, unwilling to look at her now bruised face.

"Lana… that's your name, right?"She wasted no time speaking up. "I'm sorry about… I'm sorry about what happened to Lola…"

Lana paused for a moment, before whispering. "What happened?"

"Huh?" Lindsey looked up in confusion.

"What happened?" She repeated, before turning to face the battered girl. "My sister told me that you ran to the coaches after Lola got hurt," she looked into Lindsey's eyes, her gaze fierce against the other girl's. "Please, I wanna know what happened to her."

Lindsey stood by in shock for a moment, before nodding and taking a breath. "All right… I'll tell you."

* * *

" _Finally, the National Miss Prim and Perfect Pageant! The highest level contest in Royal Woods!"_ A sinister smile overtook Lindsey. _"It's a shame I couldn't set up any traps to thin out the competition, but then again none of them are a match for me!"_ she then made her way into the building. _"Watch out Lola Loud, I'm coming for ya!"_

With that, she headed into the hall to get ready.

" _Now, where is that girl? I have to stay one step ahead of her if I'm gonna beat her today!"_ For the first few moments after she entered the venue, Lindsey carefully sneaked from room to room, checking for any sign of her adversary. _"Who knows what diabolical plan she's coming up if I can't find her right now!"_

*Sniff* A sweet, glittery perfume began to fill the air with that, causing Lindsey to raise her nose. _"There she is. Oh Lola, you have got to stop using that scent if you wanna hide from me,"_ she slowly eased along after that, carefully continuing the search for the girl.

"Ehh, that stupid chandelier should hold for the time being," she overhead as some workers passed by the corridor she hid in. "As long as it doesn't get hit too hard it should be fine."

With that, Lindsey found herself stepping into the grand dining hall. It was large, with the tables lining the walls, leaving a small space in the center for dancing. A ladder stood underneath the main light fixture that lit the room, while the wire that tethered it to the ceiling seemed bent and held together loosely with duct tape and super glue.

Her adversary stood below that fixture, her focus held tightly on the back wall, no doubt a part of the pre-contest preps that would give her an edge above the competition.

"Well, well, well, Lola Loud!" Lindsey shouted, filling the room with her voice.

Immediately, the pink girl swung around and glared. "What do you want, Sweetwater?"

Just came by to wish you good luck!" she snickered, putting her arms on her hips as she did so. "Haha, I mean, you're gonna need it after all!"

"Whatever, I'm just gonna beat you like I always do," in response, Lola held her arms out elegantly at her sides, before turning to stepped passed her rival. "You've go no traps to get rid of the competition this time around! You're gonna ave to win on your own skill, something you sorely lack."

"Heh, you really think so? I mean, you're not even wearing a better dress!" Lindsey crossed her arms and spoke with an uptight voice. "From the looks of it, your dog for a sister messed up your others ones, leaving you in that old rag!"

For a moment, Lola paused, before steeling herself and glaring at Lindsey. "Never talk about my sister like that."

"Oh? Hit a soft spot I see," The orange-haired girl raised an eyebrow and put on a sinister smile. "Why not? You don't want me talking about your pet twin?" She laughed. "I remember when she barked like a dog when I brought my pet rabbit in! Do you feed her kibble or something?! It's only-"

In an instant, fire ignited in Lola's eyes, followed by her pouncing on Lindsey, causing them to roll into a nearby table. "I told you never to talk about her like that! Lana's the best sister a girl could have!" she scratched at Lindsey, who quickly blocked, causing her glove to be hit instead.

"Whatever!" Lindsey countered, by kicking up, forcing Lola back, onto her butt, and allowing Lindsey to jump onto her feet. "She's as ugly as you are! All that mud doesn't do anything for her complexion!"

"Grr!" Lola rolled over and ducked down, following up with swing kick, causing her rival to fall to the ground.

Yet, not to be outdone, the orange-haired girl flipped onto her stomach and kicked up, knocking Lola off balance and back again. "Anything you can do, I can do better!"

"No, you can't!" Lola shouted, sending a fist at Lindsey, who responded by catching it and sending her own, which Lola countered by catching it as well. "Gr'ahh!" She forced Lindsey back, before punching her in the abdomen. "That's for my sister!"

Suddenly, Lindsey found herself stumbling back, into the ladder that the workers had left behind after working on the chandelier. It tipped over, falling into the poorly secured fixture. Said fixture then swung for a short moment, before the duct tape and glue gave way, causing it to fall from the ceiling.

"Watch out!" Lola shouted as she tackled Lindsey away from the falling chandelier, causing it to fall upon her instead.

In the next moment, Lindsey stood up, now cut and bruised from the glass as well as from the fight. "Lola!"

But there was no response. All that Lindsey could see of the Diva was the tiara she had once worn upon her head.

* * *

"She saved me," the young girl whispered. "We fought, but rather than let me get hurt, she pushed me out of the way and she got hurt instead…" she held her arm awkwardly, seemingly trying to give herself a hug.

" _Lola… even though I messed up, she still loved me,"_ Lana's eyes softened once more, though this time she managed to hold back the tears trying to find their way out this time. She slowly turned to Lindsey. "Is that everything?"

The young girl nodded. "Yeah, that's the truth. After the fight I ran to the coaches and told them there was an accident… though I lied about how we ended up there…"

For a moment, the young plumber considered punching her again and yet, couldn't help, but feel oddly remorseful of what she had done. _"She's sorry… but she hurt her…"_ she clenched her fists once more, before releasing and letting out a sigh. "Thank you," with that, she stood up and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Lindsey shouted, before she pulled out a small crown. "Please, give this to her… she deserved it more than me."

The blonde-haired girl took it in her hands. "What is it?"

"It's the Miss Prim and Perfect Crown…" she looked away and shook her head. "I won it but… I know Lola would've been able to beat me if she was allowed to compete. she was so... amazing, beautiful... perfect," she clutched her fists, rubbed her arm and looked away. "I wish we couldve been more..."

Slowly, she took it in her hands and nodded.

Lindsey turned back, her eyes filling with a begging hope. "Please, Lana, if there's anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask," her voice filled with a warm sincerity. "I wanna make up for what I've done," she looked away and rubbed her arm. "I know I hurt Lola, but I wanna make this right!"

And in response, Lana nodded. "Thank you…" before she turned and began to walk off. _"Maybe… maybe she can help."_

6-15-18 18-5-22-5-14-7-5 25-15-21 4-9-7 20-23-15 7-18-1-22-5-19, 2-21-20 23-8-1-20 1-2-15-21-20 6-15-18 18-5-4-5-13-16-20-9-15-14? 12-1-14-1 13-1-25 8-1-22-5 1-14-15-20-8-5-18 23-1-25 20-15 23-1-11-5 12-15-12-1 21-16 1-6-20-5-18 1-12-12.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I hope you all enjoyed! Man, I had to overclock when writing this chapter because I'm gonna be going on a family trip this Wednesday. As such, I won't be posting for the next 2-3 weeks. Just a heads up!
> 
> I should get some sleep.


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